Constitution
Article 1 — Organization Name
The name of the organization shall be the Brooklyn College Emergency Medical Squad, as charted by the State of New York (1977) and as registered by the CLAS and SGS Club Association, BCSFA and Central Depository.
Article 2 — Objectives of the Squad
A. To provide emergency pre-hospital medical care and ambulance services.
B. To provide limited medical screening and "stand-by" services
C. To provide first aid and CPR training to the college community in the form of classes, seminars and demonstrations.
D. To provide for loan, when available, wheelchairs free of charge to members of the college community.
E. To provide the above services to the Brooklyn College community, Midwood High School and P.S. 152 without cost or obligation to the patient and without compensation to the members of rendering services.
F. The squad shall be nonpartisan, nonsectarian and nonpolitical in all actions, policies and affairs. The squad shall not endorse any political affiliation, nor shall any member by word or action imply such endorsement or affiliation by BC-EMS.
G. It is the intent of this squad to cooperate fully with all private, public and college agencies and services toward the implementation of the above objectives.
Article 3 — Membership
Section 1 — Membership Requirements
A. Membership shall be limited to persons at least 16 years old.
B. A member shall be considered probationary for one semester or until dispatcher status is reached. Probationary members are not eligible to nominate or vote in squad elections.
C. In order to maintain good standing, a member must abide by the rules and regulations of the squad as stated in this Constitution, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manual and other policies as mandated by the State of New York Department of Health.
D. The personnel officer may grant a leave of absence for a six-month period of time. The board of directors must approve leaves of more than six months.
E. All members shall volunteer their services free of charge. Any member may accept no salary for services rendered. Service and scholarship awards may be may be granted by the board of directors and the Vice Presidential Committee and are subject to the guidelines of the BCSFA and this constitution.
Section 2 — Officers
A. The elected officers of the squad shall consist of the president, chief of operations, training officer, equipment officer, safety officer, communications officer, personnel officer, house officer, scheduling officer, secretary, treasurer and two CLAS and one SGS member at large. Each officer shall be a voting member of the board of directors. The term of office shall be from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31.
B. The administration of Brooklyn College in the form of the Vice Presidential Committee on Emergency Care reserves the right to appoint through hiring, with the board of directors approval, a paid administrator thus replacing the position of president. In this case, the administrator will assume all the responsibilities of the president.
C. To be eligible for an elected office, candidates must be active for one full semester (14 weeks). They must meet the requirements of office as outlined in this Constitution.
D. Officers must be elected by a majority vote. Where more than two candidates are nominated for an office, and a majority vote has not been received, a run-off between the two top vote-getters will determine the election.
E. Nominations will take place at the April General Membership Meeting. The board of directors shall act as a nominating committee to submit a slate of candidates to the April general membership meeting.
F. Elections will take place at the May general membership meeting.
G. Vacancies occurring in any elected office will be filled at the next general membership meeting by majority vote.
Section 3 — Requirements for Office
A. The president/administrator shall have a minimum certification of Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Lab Instructor. He or she shall act as the liaison between the squad and the administration of Brooklyn College.
B. The chief of operations shall have been a past operational officer of the squad. They shall hold Crew Chief Certification and Driver Certification is recommended.
C. The chief of operations shall appoint an assistant to help facilitate the day-to-day running of the squad. The minimum requirement for this position is EMT.
D. The training officer shall be a crew chief.
E. The equipment officer shall be an EMT or an EMT candidate with a May completion date.
F. The safety officer shall be a nonprobationary driver.
G. The communications officer shall be a nonprobationary dispatcher.
H. The minimum requirement for all other offices is member in good standing.
I. The faculty adviser shall be a member ex-officio of the board of directors.
Article 4 — Board of Directors
Section 1 — Powers and Duties
A. The board of directors shall conduct the affairs of the squad subject to the provisions set forth in this Constitution.
B. All policies or prospects not covered in this Constitution or in the SOP will first be brought for approval to the board of directors. After receiving board approval, they will be presented to the general membership for approval.
C. The board of directors shall suggest and review all plans for raising and/or increasing funds.
D. Each elected officer shall have one vote.
E. The assistant chief of operations shall have one vote.
F. Any board member who is absent from three consecutive meeting without cause shall be dismissed from the board.
G. The board shall be empowered to dismiss any elected or appointed officer; a two-thirds vote is needed for dismissal. This vote may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the general membership.
H. At the September board of directors meeting, the board will elect a chairperson from among its ranks. The chairperson shall schedule and preside over all board meetings. In the absence of the administrator/president, the chairperson shall preside at general membership meetings.
Section 2 — Board Meetings
A. The board of directors shall meet prior to each general membership meeting.
B. Two-thirds of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum.
C. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson, or by written request to the chairperson by three or more members of the board.
D. All special meeting notices must contain the names of members requesting the meeting and the purpose of the meeting. No other business may be transacted at this meeting.
Article 5 — General Membership Meetings
A. Written notice shall be mailed at least seven days in advance of said meeting.
B. One-half or 25 members, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum at all regular and special meetings.
C. Proxy votes and written absentee votes will be accepted at all regular and special meetings.
Article 6 — Order of Business for General Membership and Board Meetings
- Call to order
- Roll call of officers
- Reading of minutes of the previous meeting
- Reports of officers
- Reports of committees
- Old business
- New business
- Good and welfare
- Elections
- Adjournment
Article 7 — Amendments
A. This Constitution may be amended, altered, repealed or added to in any manner not inconsistent with the state of New York, or the provisions of the Brooklyn College Association.
B. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing and may be submitted at any regular or special general membership meeting called for that purpose. Said amendments must be tabled and written notice must be sent to the membership at least 10 days before the amendment may be acted on. A two-thirds vote is required to pass an amendment.
Article 8 — Parliamentary Procedures
A. Any business or question arising, not specifically covered herein or in the SOP, shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.
B. The secretary shall record all changes, amendments and revisions to this Constitution so that they may be printed and distributed periodically.
Article 9 — Standard Operating Procedures
A. A Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manual shall be available to all members.
B. Temporary operating procedures (TOP) may be used for 30 days in situations where there is no SOP to govern a situation.
C. Proposed changes to the SOP Manual must be ratified by two-thirds vote of the board of directors.
Article 10 — Policies and Procedures Committee
A. A committee consisting of three officers and two non-officers shall be formed in the fall semester of all even-numbered years to review the policies and procedures of the squad.
B. This committee shall report all recommendations for change or amendments to the board of directors at the November board meeting.
