UW Operation Smile
Last active term
Club Name
The name of the club will be UW Operation Smile. We are not agent or representative of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), and our views and actions in no way represent the WUSA.
Governance
The club will uphold the values, mission, and mandate of both the University of Waterloo (UW) and WUSA through following the directives outlined in the WUSA Clubs Manual, all WUSA By-Laws, Policies, and Procedures, as well as all policies and procedures outlined by the UW Secretariat. Furthermore, the club will abide by all laws of the Region of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada. All club matters will ultimately be governed by the WUSA Clubs Manager.
Purpose
The purpose of the club is to gather University of Waterloo students, staff, faculty and members of the UW community at large to
raise a collective awareness towards the debilitating conditions called cleft lip and cleft palate that affect communities worldwide. By raising awareness towards these issues, we aim to urge the members of the Kitchener-Waterloo region to donate to this cause, which will help suffering children in international communities gain access to the health care and surgeries they need through the Operation Smile Canada organization.
Club events, activities, and/or initatives will include
opportunities for others to donate towards the organization through the sales of goods and services, including but not limited to baked goods, clip-on buttons, recycling programs, online workshops, and tournaments. Club activities will also be aimed at spreading awareness of this health issue via promotional activities on social media platforms, poster design, and outreach to communities outside the University of Waterloo. We will aim to deliver fundraising and informative events to nearby public spaces and schools in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
Membership Structure
The club will be fully inclusive and welcoming to both its current and potential membership. New membership is welcome and accepted at any time during a club’s active term. Eligible club members may be current: WUSA Members, as outlined by the WUSA By-Laws; UW graduate students; UW staff or faculty; and/or members of the UW community at large, as defined in the Clubs Manual.
Only current UW students (graduate or undergraduate) may hold voting membership within the club. UW Staff, faculty, and members of the UW community at large may hold non-voting membership within the club. (If Applicable) UW undergrad students who are eligible to obtain voting membership in the club who do not wish to pay the club membership fee at the time of joining may hold non-voting membership within the club. Voting membership can be obtained for said members by paying the membership fee.
At least two thirds of the club's membership must be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate).
Membership Fee
Executive Officers
The majority of executives will be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate). The club president will be a current UW undergraduate student. All club executives will be elected, not hired or appointed. The term of office for all executive positions is one academic term, as outlined by the UW Registrar’s Office. All club decisions will be determined by executive vote, as no executive officer (not even the President) holds decision making power for the collective.
The President ensures that:
- The club operates according to the guidelines of its constitution and some agreed upon guidelines for running a meeting, such as Robert's Rules of Order;
- The club works towards its objectives as agreed upon by the membership; and
- Their successor is trained.
- Acts as the spokesperson for the club and communicates regularly with the affiliate organization Operation Smile Canada
The President is a signing authority.
The VP Internal ensures that:
- Records of what the group has done are maintained, distributed, and are accessibile to all the members;
- Meeting minutes/notes are recorded and made available to all voting members;
- All club correspondence is monitored and brought to the attention of the appropriate person(s);
- Their successor is trained.
- Acts as a secondary spokesperson for the club with the affiliate organization Operation Smile Canada
The VP Internal is a signing authority.
The VP Finance ensures that:
- The club's WUSA bank account and all financial transactions for the club are monitored and verified;
- All club revenues are collected, deposited into the club's WUSA bank account, and reconciled correctly and within a timely manner;
- Club cheque requests are submitted correctly and in a timely manner; and
- Their successor is trained.
The VP Finance is a signing authority.
The VP Events ensures that:
- Communicates with Marketing Coordinator to prepare promotional/event materials
- Communicates with members regularly about upcoming events and provides event details
- Organizes volunteers and shift times among club members for events
- Handles the paperwork necessary to hold events with WUSA
- Ensures that the next VP Events is trained.
The VP External ensures that:
- Ensures members can hold fundraising or informative events at local public spaces, organizations, and/or institutions
- Personally thanks sponsors on behalf of the club and maintains partnerships with them
- Writes sponsorship letters or emails on behalf of the club to gain third-party support
- Sponsorships of monetary or other value are obtained from businesses and organizations that Operation Smile Canada has approved of and aligns with their guidelines
- Local businesses and organizations, such as schools, are informed of our initiatives and events
- Ensures that the next VP External is trained.
The VP Marketing ensures that:
- All events and initiatives are documented on a media platform to be used for future promotional material
- All events and initiatives are promoted via the social media platforms, physical promotions, and other applicable media
- Ensures that the next VP Marketing is trained.
It is important to assure that the person with the most information and/or knowledge in the club is not the full-time chairperson. Therefore, the club will occasionally rotate the role of chairperson among voting members.
Meetings
General Meetings
The club will hold monthly general meetings. Quorum for general meetings will be 15 voting members of 20% of voting membership (whichever is more).
Executive Meetings
The club will hold bi-weekly executive meetings. Quorum for executive meetings will be 2 executives or at least 51% of the executive body (whichever is more).
The first meetings (both general and executive) of the following term will be arranged by the outgoing executive. At said meetings, subsequent meeting dates and locations will be set. Meeting dates and times will be forwarded to voting members by:
- Discord Server
Emergency meetings can be called by an executive via:
- Phone
- Discord Server
and must be sent to the appropriate members at least 48 hours prior to the meeting time.
ELECTION PROCESS
Elections shall take place at the end of each term for the following academic term. Only University of Waterloo students who are members of the club can vote. Club members must be notified, by email, two weeks in advance of the meeting where executive elections will take place. The term of office shall be for one term. An executive can only hold office (any position) for a total of up to three terms.
Nominations for executives can be made from any club member. The majority of executives must be undergraduate University of Waterloo students. The successful candidate will be the one with the most votes. In the case of a tie, a re-vote will take place until the tie is broken.
IMPEACHMENT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
A movement to impeach an executive officer may be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. When the motion is made the Clubs Manager will be informed. An emergency general meeting will be called as soon as is reasonably possible. No club funds will be spent until the issue is resolved.
At the impeachment meeting, the individual(s) who initiated the process will state their case. Afterwards, the officer(s) under impeachment will have an opportunity to defend their position(s) on the matter.
There will then be a question and answer period followed by the selection process for a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) who will oversee the voting process to ensure the decision is fair and democratic. Any executive officer who is neither the initiator nor subject of the impeachment may volunteer as CRO. If there is no such officer, then any voting member of the club present at the meeting may volunteer. If there are multiple volunteers, then the CRO will be selected based on a simple majority vote cast by secret ballot and tallied publically by the chairperson of the meeting. If there is no such volunteer for CRO, then the meeting will be at a standstill until either an eligible executive officer or voting member volunteers.
The vote will be by a “YES/NO” secret ballot, tallied publically by the CRO. If at least two thirds of the votes are for impeachment, then said officer will immediately be stripped of their position. The remaining executive may choose to call an immediate by-election to replace the newly vacant executive officer position.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
A claim against any executive officer or club member regarding a potential conflict of interest can be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. If such a claim arises, then said individual(s) under suspicion have the opportunity to remove them self (or themselves) from said potential conflict without acknowledging intention of wrongdoing. In the event the claim is contested, then the Clubs Manager will be informed and an emergency executive meeting will be called to determine the validity of the claim. Executive officers who have a claim against them cannot vote to determine the validity of said claim. If executive quorum is not possible due to the removal of said vote(s), then an emergency general meeting will be called and the same proceedings described for impeachment will be used to determine the validity of the claim.
If the claim is validated and there is suspicion of intentional wrongdoing, an immediate impeachment proceeding may be called by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members, of whom are not named in the claim. If it is determined that a club member is involved in intentional wrongdoing, the impeachment proceeding will be called to determine said member’s club status.
AMENDMENTS
Constitutional amendments may be proposed by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. The amendment will then be voted on by referendum. The voting procedure will be the same as for the impeachment process. If the vote passes, the amendment and the vote will be forwarded to the Clubs Manager for final approval. If the Clubs Manager approves, then the constitution will be amended and any changes will be inserted into the constitution.
A motion to officially close the club will follow the same procedure as a constitutional amendment. If such a motion passes, then the club will be purged from the clubs system.
AFFILIATIONS
External Affiliations
The club is affiliated with Operation Smile Canada.
1. Students are the primary organizers when running events and coordinating activities for their clubs. Operation Smile
Canada staff can provide recommendations and may attend events as representatives of our organization.
2. The President must maintain role as the primary contact and spokesperson of the student club not Operation Smile
Canada employees.
3. Operation Smile Canada staff will work with students in an advisory capacity which means we can make
recommendations or provide advice but we do not have the power to implement any changes. For example, if your
president had to drop out of the club, we cannot appoint a new president, instead we can provide your club with advice
regarding how to move forward.
4. Operation Smile Canada employees do not have sole decision-making powers in regards to membership in the
student group, executive eligibility, or executive election.
5. The President and Treasurer will have full responsibility over the club’s finances and Operation Smile Canada staff
can only hold an advisory position regarding student club’s finances.
6. Operation Smile Canada cannot book on or off campus venues on behalf of Student Clubs or gain access to any
online system used to coordinate student groups.
7. Operation Smile Canada will not approve of any club fundraising events that include telemarketing, door knocking,
violent or dangerous activities, or the sale or promotion of tobacco products or illegal drugs.
8. Operation Smile Canada cannot guarantee a speaker, representative, or celebrity for your event because of the
number of requests we receive.
9. Operation Smile Canada cannot sponsor, solicit sponsorship, or reimburse expenses for your club’s fundraising
events. Please contact us before you reach out to any potential sponsors to avoid any conflict with our own efforts.
10. Operation Smile reserves the right to approve the use of our name and logo on all marketing and promotional
materials before they are distributed, including items such as flyers, posters, websites, etc.
11. Operation Smile is not an event sponsor; funds are being raised by your club to benefit Operation Smile Canada.
12. Student Club agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Operation Smile Canada harmless, including its directors,
officers, employees, agents, affiliates and volunteers from and against any and all suits, claims, demands, liabilities,
damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating in any way to the Student
Club’s business and the marketing activities authorized herein.
13. Operation Smile Canada reserves the right to terminate this Agreement and revoke permission to use our logo if at
any time it is determined the goals and intent of this agreement are not being met.
14. The club may end the external affiliation at any time, with notice to the Clubs Manager.
15. IAC, not the external organization, is the final authority on all club business.
16. IAC is not responsible for ensuring the club abides by any additional stipulations between the club and the external organization as a condition of the affiliation, rather that task is left at the club level to manage.
17. Other than the authority to end the affiliation, the external organization has no authority over the club whatsoever.
View the letter from the affiliate
The club itself is internally responsible for ensuring adherence to any applicable By-Laws, policies, conditions, etc. outlined by the external affiliation. However, all policies, procedures, By-Laws, etc. of both UW and WUSA supersede any By-Laws, policies, conditions, etc. outlined by the external affiliation. The Clubs Manager, not the external organization, is the final authority on all club business. Other than the authority to end the affiliation, the external organization has no authority over the club whatsoever. Furthermore, the Clubs Manager is not responsible for ensuring the club abides by any additional stipulations between the club and the external organization. The club may choose by general vote to sever the affiliation, with notice given to the Clubs Manager.