CONSTITUTION OF THE RADICAL CENTRISTS OF GEORGETOWN

Drafted 4 September, 2019

A Letter from a Co-Founder

To whoever it may concern,
I remember talking with another co-founder one night while we were applying for
university recognition, we were having some doubts on whether we would be recognized or not.
We had shakily ratified the constitution, and had various arguments regarding our purpose and
stance. We had fought through many issues together and made amends along the way. The
Radical Centrists may fight through something, but they always fight together. Yesterday we
obtained university recognition and entered the NCD process, a worthy achievement on its own.
Looking into the future, I hope that the Radical Centrists stays a club that welcomes anyone and
respects every opinion and thinks them every decision through. I hope that the club remembers to
always be true to what a radical centrist is: rational, considerate, and passionate.

Signed Ed Shen
Interim Treasurer and Operations Director
MSB ‘23

PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Radical Centrists of Georgetown, in order to promote understanding,
establish a basis for order, increase cooperation and unity, promote friendship, and encourage
community among the many members of this organization do hereby ordain and establish this
constitution.

We affirm our commitment to seeking an objective, verifiable truth, to fostering mutual respect
in the political arena and making a stand against the vilification of differences. We reject the
current state of bipolarity and propose creating a radical centrist alternative to each and every
issue. Our purpose is to pursue the optimal and informed solution by engaging openly and freely
with each other, the Georgetown community, and the international community at large.
 Article I. Name and Structure
Section 1. Name: The name of this organization shall be the Radical Centrists of Georgetown,
hereafter abbreviated as Radical Centrists;

Section 2. Affiliation: The Radical Centrists shall not be affiliated with any external organization
unless deemed appropriate at a later time;

Section 3. Colors: The colors for this organization shall be Imperial Purple (#66023C).

Article II. Purpose

Section 1. Mission: The Radical Centrists seek to establish a new political climate based on ​the
rejection of the contemporary political duopoly in favor of pragmatic problem-solving to better
serve our​ ​commitment to free, open and liberal democracy. This organization seeks to garner
support for political processes that reaffirm this commitment;

Section 2. Declaration: The Radical Centrists do not conform to a specific school of political
thought or location on the political spectrum. Therefore, the Radical Centrists declare
independence from the modern categorization of political identity, including contemporary
centrism; and

Section 3. University Guidelines: This organization shall, in accordance with Georgetown

guidelines and its own core principles, function without bias or prejudice toward any individual
or group of people.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Definition: A member of the Radical Centrists is hereby defined as a Georgetown
undergraduate student who has completed an interest form or attended a General Body meeting;

Section 2. Eligibility: Membership is open to all Georgetown University full-time undergraduate

students;

Section 3. Admission: Membership in the Radical Centrists is extended to all students meeting
the above requirements upon completion of an interest form or attendance of a General Body
meeting;
Section 4. Dues: Members must pay dues as set by the Executive Board. If the dues are an
excessive financial burden in violation of Article V Section I, financial aid may be distributed at
the discretion of the Executive Board; and

Section 5. Membership Termination: Members who wish to terminate their membership may do
so at any time, provided they inform the Secretary of their departure. Those who depart in good
standing are free to rejoin the Radical Centrists at any time;

Section 6. Responsibilities: Members are expected to maintain the good name and standing of
the Radical Centrists both inside and outside of club activities. Members are required to be
participating in at least one committee at all times.

Article IV. Elected and Appointed Officers

Section 1. Elected officers: The elected officers of the Radical Centrists shall be President,
Vice-President, Secretary, Director of Finances, Director of Operations and Logistics, and
Communications Coordinator. Gavel order shall be the order in which the offices have been
listed in Article IV, Section 1;

Section 2. Executive Board: The aforementioned officers shall constitute an Executive Board
with all the officers holding equal power and authority with the exception of the President, who
will serve as Chair of the Executive Board.;

Section 3. Qualifications for Office:

A. Officers must be dues-paying or financially exempted members of the Radical Centrists,
meeting all the qualifications for membership listed in Article III; and
B. Officers must be able to serve the complete term of office while enrolled at Georgetown
University;

Section 4. Term of Office: Elected officers begin their tenure at 12:00 am on the first day of
summer break for the academic year in which they are elected, and complete their tenure at
11:59 pm on the last day of classes the following academic year; and

Section 5. Office-Holding Limitations. A member may seek the same office for more than one
term, provided the requirements for becoming an officer are still met by the member. No
member who has at any point been forcibly terminated as defined in Article VII, Section 4 from
the club may hold office. No member shall hold more than one elected office at a time. This
provision does not prevent a member from simultaneously serving as an elected officer and a
committee chair.

Section 6. Other Officers: For constitutional purposes, appointed committee chairs and other
bodies with the Radical Centrist organization shall be considered officers.

Article V. Voting

Section 1.
A. Voting rights: No member is to be denied the right to vote on any basis of race, gender,
religion, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, or otherwise discriminatory
qualifiers;
B. To vote, members must have paid dues unless exempted by the Director of Finances
Section 2. Election Process: The election process shall take place at the second to last meeting of
each year at the last general body meeting, except for the first election which will take place at
the first general body meeting;
Section 3. Voting: All election voting procedures will be conducted by secret ballot. Each
member present will receive one ballot. Each member may vote once for a specific office.
Members may choose to vote “no confidence” or abstain if they so choose;
Section 4. Multiple Candidates: When one or two candidates run for the same office, the
candidate must receive a majority of the votes to be elected. When there are three or more
candidates running for the same office, a runoff election with each round dropping the candidate
with the lowest number of votes will be conducted;
Section 5. Quorum rules
A. A quorum regarding general or special business is one-half the total members
B. A quorum regarding voting for candidates is two-thirds the total members;
Section 4. Ties: In the case where each of two candidates receive half of the possible votes, the
newly elected board shall decide the position by vote. The President shall abstain from voting
except to break a tie. Each office receives one vote; and
Section 6. Election Officials: The President and Director of Operations and Logistics shall run
the elections and count the votes jointly.
 Article VI. Candidacy

Section 1. Candidacy Rules

A. All candidates must be present at the election meeting to run for office;
B. All members may run for any office given they meet all the requirements of candidacy as
listed in Article 4, Section 3;
C. No student may run for more than one elected office concurrently;
D. Candidates will each be given three minutes of speaking time at the General Body
Meeting in which elections are taking place. Candidates may choose to yield their
speaking time. Candidates may not demean or otherwise harass other candidates in their
campaigning tactics;
E. There are no other restrictions regarding the method nor the manner of campaigning
given that no university rules and regulations are broken; and
F. Co-officers are allowed in all positions provided that they explicitly run together.

Article VII. Operations

Section 1. Constitution Guidelines: No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed;
Section 2. Impeachment of an elected or appointed officer shall commence as such:
A. A member must move to initiate impeachment procedure and be recognized by the chair
at a General Body Meeting,
B. The member must state the case against the officer which will be limited to three minutes
of speaking time,
C. The Officer will be given three minutes to defend themselves,
D. The Executive Board must publish a summary of charges against the officer before the
next General Body Meeting,
E. The vote to impeach will then commence at the next General Body Meeting,
F. The vote to impeach must be a two-thirds majority by the general body and a unanimous
majority from the Executive Board excluding the officer on trial if the officer is on the
Executive Board. If the officer on trial is a committee chair, the Executive Board must
vote unanimously to impeach along with two-thirds of the general body,
G. If the officer is impeached, they must resign or be forcefully terminated from their office,
H. The impeached officer can remain a member of the Radical Centrists if they so wish,
however they will be ineligible to hold any other elected or appointed office,
I. A state of emergency may be declared for the empty office;
Section 3. State of Emergency: A state of emergency can be declared for any empty office by a
two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. The only conditions for an automatic state of emergency
are as follows; If there are no candidates for an elected office at the time of elections;

Section 4. Forced Termination: Any member found to be guilty of harassment, bullying, assault,
or any other behavior that violates University policies will be subject to a majority-rules recall
vote in which the Executive Board will vote for their removal;

Section 5: Readmission: Members who have been forcibly terminated may be readmitted as a
full member and without sanctions except for those outlined in Article IV Section 5 by a
unanimous vote of the Executive Board. The Executive Board will have full discretion in
determining when and whether a readmission vote is appropriate;

Section 6. Instatement: The Executive Board will have discretion in regarding the instatement of
a new officer into any office that is in a state of emergency or becomes vacant during the course
of a term;

Section 7. Elasticity: The Executive Board will have discretion to fix constitutional errors or
make adjustments to the structure of committees to ensure the effectiveness of the organization.
These changes will be voted on at the next General Body Meeting and approved. If they are not,
they must be reverted. The clause expires in one year from the date of ratification (9/15/20)
unless renewed by a two-thirds majority of the General Body; and

Section 8. Order of Succession: Order of Succession will follow Gavel Order.

Article VIII. Duties of Officers

Section 1. The duties of the President shall include:
A. Presiding over the assembly of delegates at the general body meetings;
B. Proposing constitutional amendments;
C. Convening meetings of the general body and the Executive Board whenever they see fit,
D. Creating and disbanding committees other than those outlined in the Constitution and
other bodies as they see fit;
E. Appointing and dismissing all committee chairs;
F. Representing the organization at any meeting where a delegate from this organization is
required;
G. Coordinating the activities of the Executive Board;
H. Providing a detailed vision and direction to the club and ensuring the success of this
organization’s future endeavors;
Section 2. The duties of the Vice-President shall include:
A. Fulfilling the duties of President in the event of death, illness, resignation, geographic
relocation, impeachment or inability to serve as determined by the full consent of the
executive board excluding the President;
B. Supervising committee activities in an effort to ensure all projects of the Radical
Centrists are carried out properly;
C. Representing the organization at any meeting where a delegate from this organization is
required if the President is unable to attend;
D. Assisting the President in the execution of the President’s constitutional duties;
E. Serving as chair or co-chair on any special committees as deemed necessary by the
President;
F. Coordinating and directing all staff on all committees;
G. Assisting in the day to day operations and developing and keeping a constant vision and
brand for the club;
H. Providing support for the Director of Operations and Logistics in logistics;
I. Providing support and direction for the Communications Coordinator in publicity;
Section 3. The duties of the Secretary shall include:
A. Keeping an accurate record of the proceedings during meetings;
B. Keeping and updating all membership records;
C. Representing the organization at any meeting where a delegate from this organization is
required if the President and Vice President are unable to attend;
D. Handling the University correspondence of the organization;
E. Maintaining all club records and official paperwork;
Section 4. The duties of the Director of Finances shall include:
A. Maintaining accurate records of all club funds, incomes, disbursements, and debts;
B. Constructing and giving financial reports at Executive Board meetings;
C. Corresponding with university regarding club funding;
D. Handling the budgeting and spending of the Radical Centrist;
E. Approving all use of funds for spending by officers of the Radical Centrists;
F. Approving all financial exemptions of dues for members;
G. Organizing and coordinating fundraising efforts along with the Director of Operations
and Logistics;
Section 5. The duties of the Director of Operations and Logistics shall include:
A. Responding to jobs not otherwise listed in the Constitution;
B. Responding to tasks that are not foreseen;
C. Organizing logistics for club events;
D. Manage meeting spaces, food and drink for events, paper work, and other logistical
components for the club; and
Section 6. The duties of the Communications Coordinator shall include:
 A. Creating publicity for the Radical Centrists and Radical Centrist events;
B. Creating posters and other publications for Radical Centrist events when deemed
appropriate;
C. Maintaining and expanding a positive public presence for the Radical Centrists;
D. Creating and maintaining a website for the Radical Centrists;
E. Managing relations with all external organizations and individuals.
Section 7. The duties of Committee Chairs shall include:
A. Coordinating the activities of their committees;
B. Ensuring the requirements of committees under Article X Section 1 are met;
C. Performing any other duties required to effectively discharge their office.
Section 8. The duties of other Officers shall include:
A. Any duties deemed appropriate by the President at the moment of creation of their office.

Article IX. Finances

Section 1. Financial Credits: The Radical Centrists shall establish dues for the next academic
year through a vote at the conclusion of each academic year. The initial year’s dues shall be
established at the first meeting;

Section 2. Financial Debits:

A. All club expenditures must be approved by the Director of Finances
B. Expenditures above 25% of organization funds require the consent of the majority of the
Executive Board
C. Expenditures above 50% of organization funds require two thirds consent of the
Executive Board; and

Section 3. Fundraising
A. All fundraising efforts must be in compliance with university regulations and rules;
B. All fundraising amounts must be made known to members
C. The organization will seek funding by application to the appropriate advisory board
D. The group will comply with all University financial policies, including placing all funds
in its University account.

Article X. Committees
Section 1. Committee Requirements and Responsibilities:
A. Any member may propose the creation of a committee; and
B. If the proposed committee is approved by the President, the proposing member is entitled
to become its chair if they so wish;
 C. Committees must have at least 5 members including the chair to be considered active,
and if they fall below that threshold at any time they shall be automatically disbanded;
D. Committees must submit a written report of their activities and minutes of their meetings
to the Executive Board at least once every two weeks or upon request by the Vice
President;
E. Committees must meet at least once per week; and
F. It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that sections D and E are carried
out. Failure to do so is grounds for dismissal as chair.
Section 2. Standing Committees:
A. Standing Committees shall be active at all times and immune from disbandment unless
by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board and a majority vote of the general assembly;
B. The International Politics Committee will be a standing committee;
C. The Domestic Politics Committee will be a standing committee;
D. The Events Committee will be a standing committee;
E. The creation of standing committees will be decided by a majority vote of the general
assembly; and
F. Standing committees may be disbanded by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and
the General Assembly.
Section 3. Special Committees
A. Special Committees shall be created to address a specific problem or complete a specific
task;
B. Special Committees shall be created by the President and function under their discretion;
C. Special Committees are to be disbanded upon completion of their task unless further
purpose for the committee is determined by the Executive Board; and
D. Special Committees are still governed under the Constitution and its guidelines.
Section 4. Committee Chairs:
A. Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the President and are subject to the rules of
impeachment as Article 7, Section 2;
B. The Executive Board may choose to conduct a selection process for committee chairs if
appropriate.

Article XI. Parliamentary Authority

Article 1. Roberts Rules: The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order
Newly Revised shall govern the Radical Centrists of Georgetown in all cases to which they are
applicable and in cases in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and any special
rules of order the Radical Centrists of Georgetown may adopt, the order of supremacy shall be
the Constitution, then any special rules of order, then finally Robert’s Rules of Order.
 Article XII. Amendment of the Constitution
Section 1. Proposition of Constitutional Amendments. Suggested amendments to this
Constitution must be submitted in writing to the President at least one week prior to the next
General Body Meeting at which they are to be voted on. The Executive Board shall carefully
examine the suggested amendments and make recommendations concerning them before
presenting them to this organization for consideration; and

Section 2. Adoption of Constitutional Amendments. The procedure for adopting proposed

Constitutional Amendments shall be as follows
A. Amendments to the constitution shall be voted on at a General Body Meeting;
B. Notices of proposed changes to the Constitution shall be sent out to all members at
least twenty-four hours before the meeting at which the voting will take place;
C. Each member is allowed one vote. The vote of each member shall be cast by secret
ballot;
D. The votes shall be counted by the President and the Director of Operations and Logistics;
E. A quorum for amendment voting is defined as two-thirds of all members in the club that
have fulfilled all requirements, such as dues. If this amount is an non-integer sum, the
quorum becomes the next highest integer closest to that sum; and
F. A two-thirds majority shall be necessary for adoption​ ​of proposed amendments to the
Constitution.

Article XIII. Ratification

Section 1. Ratification: The Constitution shall be ratified by the present general membership
body by a two-thirds majority vote.