The Proposed Constitution of the Harvard Union.

Constitution.

I. NAME.

The name of this society shall be the Harvard Union.

II. OBJECT.

Its object shall be to promote comradeship among present and past students and officers of Harvard University, by providing at Cambridge a suitable Club House for social purposes.

III. BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

The legal title to the property of the Harvard Union shall be vested in a Board of Trustees, seven in number. All vacancies in the Board shall be filled by the Board of Trustees, subject to confirmation by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.

IV. OFFICERS.

Sec. 1. The officers of the Union shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer and a Secretary.

Sec. 2. The President shall preside at all meetings and be ex officio a member of all committees. No one who has not been a member of the Union for one year shall be President.

Sec. 3. The Vice-President shall discharge the duties of the President when the latter is absent and shall serve ex officio on the Library Committee.

Sec. 4. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the House Committee, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to whose regulations he shall be at all times subject, and by whom he may be removed at any time. He shall keep the accounts of the Union, collect the dues of members, be responsible for the care of property, order current supplies and minor repairs, present monthly to the Board of Trustees a statement of receipts and expenditures, and shall have such further powers and duties as the Board shall prescribe. The Treasurer shall be ex officio a member of the House Committee, and shall have power to engage and discharge the employees of the Union. Once a year he shall submit to the members of the Union a complete financial statement. The salary of the Treasurer shall be fixed by the Trustees.

Sec. 5. The Secretary shall keep the records of the Union, notify new members of their election, give notice when meetings are to be held, and serve ex officio on the Membership Committee.

V. STANDING COMMITTEES.

Sec. 1. There shall be three Standing Committees, to wit: a House Committee, a Membership Committee and a Library Committee.

Sec. 2. The House Committee shall be elected annually, and shall represent each of the following departments: the College, Scientific, Graduate, law, and Divinity Schools, at the ratio of one member for every five hundred students or fraction of five hundred. The departments of the University situated out of Cambridge shall be jointly represented by two members on the Committee. The House Committee shall make all rules for preserving order, and relating to the use of the Club House; it may give permission for the use on special occasions, of any hall or room that may not be reserved, but shall have no power to lease any part of the premises. Five members shall constitute a quorum.

Sec. 3. The Membership Committee shall consist of five undergraduate members, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Scientific School, and of one member of each of the Graduate Departments in Cambridge, and of three members from the Departments outside of Cambridge. The presidents of the three upper college classes shall be ex officio members of this Committee, provided they are members of the Union. Seven members shall constitute a quorum. The Membership Committee, in addition to the election of members, shall nominate candidates to be voted for at the annual election.

Sec. 4. The Library Committee shall consist of seven members, of whom three shall be graduates, to be elected at large by the Union. It shall appoint a librarian approved by the Trustees, who shall keep a catalogue of all books added to the library by purchase or gift, and shall be responsible for their preservation in good order. The Librarian may receive a salary which shall be fixed by the Trustees. The Committee shall determine what books are to be bought, what journals shall be subscribed for, and shall also have control over the pictures, statues, trophies, and bric-a-brac in the Union. Four members shall constitute a quorum.

Sec. 5. The standing committees shall organize within one week of their election and shall serve until their successors have been elected. Each committee shall fill vacancies in its own membership until the next annual election; except that when only a minority of the committee remain, vacancies shall be filled at a special election by the Union.

VI. NOMINATION AND ELECTIONS.

Sec. 1. The Annual Election for President, Vice-President, Secretary, and these Committees shall be held at 8 p.m. on the first Thursday in April, unless the University vacation falls on that day in which case the election shall take place one week before the beginning of the spring vacation.

Sec. 2. The Membership Committee shall suggest names of one or more candidates for all the officers and committees to be elected at the Annual Election.

Sec. 3. Nominations shall be made and posted two weeks before the date of the election; but a belated nomination, if supported by the signatures of fifty active members, may be inserted in the the list up to within three days of election day. The election shall be conducted by the Australian ballot system, the polls being open from 10 a. m. till 6 p. m. on election day.

The officers in charge of the polls shall be appointed by the President of the Union. There shall be no voting by proxy. The person receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. In case of a tie, another election for that office shall be held within five days.

VII. MEMBERSHIP.

Sec. 1. Active Members.--Any person registered as a student for the time being in any department of Harvard University is eligible to active membership, upon his making application in writing to the Secretary.

Sec. 2. Associate Members.--Officers of the University and former students or graduates, who reside in Cambridge, are eligible to associate membership.

Sec. 3. Non-Resident Members.--All other former students or officers of the University are eligible to non-resident membership.

Sec. 4. Associate and Non-Resident Members shall enjoy all the privileges of the Union, but they shall not vote for any officer.

Sec. 5. Any of these members may become a life member on payment of fifty dollars.

Sec. 6. Honorary Members.--The Union may elect not more than ten honorary members, provided each candidate for honorary membership has received the approval of the Board of Trustees, of the Membership Committee, and of two-thirds of the active members, voting at a special meeting.

Sec. 7. The names of all candidates for membership shall be posted one week before their election, in order that members may report on them to the Membership Committee. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of this committee shall constitute an election.

VIII. DUES.

Sec. 1. The annual dues for an active member shall be ten dollars; for an associate member, eight dollars; and for a non-resident member, four dollars, but two dollars if he lives more than twenty-five miles from Cambridge.

Sec. 2. Yearly dues are payable in advance on Oct. 1; except that a newly elected member shall pay his dues within fourteen days of the date of his election, such payment covering his membership until the following Oct. 1.

Sec. 3. No members shall be allowed to incur an indebtedness exceeding ten dollars.

Sec. 4. The name, with the amount due, of any member whose account remains unpaid ten days after receiving notice from the Treasurer, shall be posted; and a week later he shall be deprived of the use of the Union unless his account has been paid, but if he fails to pay within three weeks more, he shall cease to be a member of the Union.

Sec. 5. Any one who has thus ceased to be a member for non-payment of his bill may be reinstated by the House Committee with the assent of the Treasurer.

IX. RESIGNATIONS.

Sec. 1. Resignations must be presented in writing to the Membership Committee before Oct. 1, otherwise members shall be liable for the dues of the coming year. Without such resignation, a member ceasing to be a student shall become an associate or non-resident member, according to his place of residence.

Sec. 2. No resignation shall be accepted from a member who has not discharged in full his indebtedness to the Union.

X. SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS.

Section 1. Any member may be suspended or expelled for cause, by a vote of three fourths of all the members of the House and Membership committees. Before expulsion, the Secretary shall be instructed, by a majority vote of these committees, to send the member a copy of the charges preferred against him; and, at the request of this member there shall be a hearing before the House and Membership committees in joint session.

XI. MEETINGS AND QUORUM.

Section 1. The annual meeting shall be held the first Thursday in April, except in cases above mentioned.

Sec. 2. Special meetings for a specific purpose shall be called by the President on the request of the House Committee, or at the request in writing of fifty active members.

Sec. 3. Except in case of urgent need, the announcement of each meeting shall be posted on the bulletin board, and its object stated, one week in advance.

Sec. 4. For the ordinary transaction of business, one hundred active members shall constitute a quorum.

XIII. AMENDMENTS.

This Constitution may be altered or amended by a majority vote of two hundred members present at two successive meetings such meetings to be held not less than one week apart; notice of the first meeting, and its object, being posted ten days in advance; provided, however, that the Board of Trustees shall concur in such alteration or amendment.

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By-Laws.

Sec. 1. Any member may introduce a visitor who accompanies him to the Union; but persons eligible to membership shall not be introduced by the same member oftener than twice a year.

Sec. 2. Persons not eligible for membership may be introduced to the privileges of the Union for a period not exceeding two weeks, provided the Treasurer, on application of some member, issue a card of invitation, signed by a member of the House Committee, and the name of the visitor be registered in a book.

Sec. 3. Members shall be responsible for any expense incurred by their guests.

Sec. 4. No person not a member of the Union shall be present at any of its business meetings, unless he be specially invited by the Presiding Officer or the House Committee.

Sec. 5. Only active members shall vote at business meetings and elections.

Sec. 6. The order of business at the annual meeting shall be as follows:--

1. Reading of minutes.

2. Announcement of result of election.

3. Reports of Standing Committees.

4. Report of Secretary.

5. Report of Treasurer.

6. Report of Special Committees.

7. Unfinished or referred business.

8. New business.

9. Adjournment.

Sec. 7. There shall be no gambling or betting in the Union. The House Committee shall act immediately on any infringement of this By-Law.

Sec. 8. No alcoholic liquors or malt drink shall be for sale.

Sec. 9. No member nor visitor shall give money or any gratuity to any employee of the Union.

Sec. 10. Complaints shall be made in writing to the House Committee, in a box provided for that purpose.

Sec. 11. The Library Committee shall regulate the use of books and periodicals, each member being responsible for damage to any book or journal while in his possession.

Sec. 12. No newspapers, magazines, books or other articles belonging to the Union shall be removed from it.

Sec. 13. The House Committee shall set aside one or more rooms in which there shall be no smoking.

Sec. 14. Members shall not send servants on errands out of the building.

Sec. 15. By invitation of a member, ladies may be introduced into those parts of the Union reserved for them.

Sec. 16. The Union shall be open from 7.30 a. m. till midnight on week days and from 8 a. m. till 11 p. m. on Sundays.

Sec. 17. Dogs shall not be allowed in the Union.

Sec. 18. These by-laws may be be altered or repealed by a majority vote of the whole House Committee, previous notice of the proposed change having been given to all members of the committee. (Signed) WM. R. THAYER, 1881, Chairman,   JAMES J. STORROW, 1885,   R. C. BOLLING, 1900, L. S.,   J. W. HALLOWELL, 1901,   H. B. CLARK, 1901, L.S.S.,   Committee to propose a Constitution for the Harvard Union.   Cambridge, Jan. 21, 1901.