UW Relay for Life
Club Name
The name of the club will be UW Relay for Life . 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
The purpose of the club is to gather University of Waterloo students, staff, faculty, and members of the UWaterloo community at large support the Canadian Cancer Society. Our mission is to foster empathy, unity, and aid for those affected by cancer in the University of Waterloo community through engaging fundraisers and an annual final event. Proceeds directly contribute to the Society's patient support, survivor programs, family assistance, and groundbreaking research. As part of the global Relay for Life movement spanning 29 countries and 6,000 communities, we aim to make a tangible impact on cancer research funding while creating a space for camaraderie and personal growth among peers.
Club events, activities, and/or initatives will include
Fundraisers (i.e., Krispy Kreme sales, bottles drive, silent auction), the main event day called ‘Relay for Life’, Relay Retreat hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society for the club presidents(s), clubs and society days, awareness and recruitment events (i.e., trivia, meet and greets on campus).
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 three consecutive academic terms, 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 Participant Engagement Co-Chair and Event Experience Co-Chair 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.
The Participant Engagement Co-Chair and Event Experience Co-Chair is a signing authority.
The Finance Captain 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.
The Finance Captain is a signing authority.
The Finance Captain 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 Finance Captain is a signing authority.
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.
Executive Support Structure
The Participant Engagement Team - Marketing Captain ensures that:
- ● Execute a social media and marketing campaign that promotes Relay For Life and communicates the importance of Relay within the school
- ● Use posters, announcements, Twitter, Instagram, and classroom visits
- ● Create awareness outside the school about the event through media releases, online community boards, post event media releases, and more
- Ensures that the next Participant Engagement Team - Marketing Captain is trained.
The Participant Engagement Team - Fundraising Coach ensures that:
- ● Support and provide ideas to teams and participants to encourage fundraising to reach individual and event goals;
- ● Responsible for running school-wide fundraising campaigns as part of Relay for Life; and
- ● Hold team captains’ meetings (or a team captains Facebook group) leading up to the event
- Ensures that the next Participant Engagement Team - Fundraising Coach is trained.
The Participant Engagement Team - The Recruitment Coach ensures that:
- ● Bring together and organize participants, teams, teachers, volunteers, school support, and survivors;
- ● Collect sign-up forms and fees, organize, and execute event-day sign in; and
- ● Work with the Event Experience Committee to organize an event-day volunteer schedule
- Ensures that the next Participant Engagement Team - The Recruitment Coach is trained.
The Participant Engagement Team - The Recruitment Captain ensures that:
- ● Responsible for bringing people in to Relay for Life;
- ● Responsible for sign-ups leading up to the event as well as day of registration;
- ● Working to get the school excited, and will be helping to bring together and organize participants, teams, volunteers and survivors; and
- ● Responsible for providing support and guidance to teams to encourage fundraising, running fundraising events leading up to event day, and holding team captain meetings
- Ensures that the next Participant Engagement Team - The Recruitment Captain is trained.
The Participant Engagement Team - 1st Year Liaison ensures that:
- ● focus on recruiting and working with first-years to support their involvement in the committee and event. The person who holds this role does not have to be in their first year;
- ● This role is a mix of recruitment/ participant coaching solely for the first years and being their main point of contact; and
- ● Focusing on the first years will help to create growth and strong outreach annually for your event.
- Ensures that the next Participant Engagement Team - 1st Year Liaison is trained.
The Event Experience Team - Ceremonies Captain ensures that:
- ● Plan the Opening Ceremony, which includes the Survivor Lap, Luminary Ceremony, and Closing Ceremony using the scripts provided;
- ● Be responsible for music and any videos for the ceremonies
- ● Coordinate all Luminary pre-event sales if you choose to do so
- ● Coordinate Luminary sales and set up at the event; and
- ● Recruit and communicate with survivors to attend the event
- Ensures that the next Event Experience Team - Ceremonies Captain is trained.
The Event Experience Team - Entertainment Captain ensures that:
- ● Plan various entertainment performances and activities to keep participants engaged and having fun throughout the event
- ● Coordinate logistics and materials for all planned events and activities
- ● Plan for all beverages and food for the event
- ● Work with other captains to determine the official event day schedule
- Ensures that the next Event Experience Team - Entertainment Captain is trained.
The Event Experience Team - Logistics Captain ensures that:
- ● Support all Committee Leads in any events initiatives that require logistics support (securing Relay venue, food and beverage station locations, set up and tear down of all recruitment, outreach, and Survivor celebration events
- ● Provide materials for all planned events and activities
- ● Coordinate timing and location of any necessary deliveries and pick-ups for event day; and
- ● Work with other captains to determine the official event day schedule
- Ensures that the next Event Experience Team - Logistics Captain is trained.
The Event Experience Team - Sponsorship Captain ensures that:
- ● Find donations for the event from local businesses and community members. They can either be monetary or specific items needed for the event (food, sound equipment);
- ● Meet with your committee to determine needs for different aspects of the event;
- ● Review the Donation Request Workbook (on google drive) to ensure proper procedure for seeking donations and sponsorship; and
- ● Responsible for thanking all sponsors for their support during and post-event
- Ensures that the next Event Experience Team - Sponsorship Captain is trained.
The Event Experience Team - TBD Sub Positions ensures that:
- ● These sub positions will be dependent on the number of incoming applications. If applications for supporting executives exceed the number of roles in the committee and the executive members sees to fit the applicant in a specific position that has been already filled, a sub-position for that specific supporting role can be created. o i.e. For the Recruitment Captain position, a sub position of sports and clubs captain can be creating to focus directing on recruiting people from other clubs and sports teams
- Ensures that the next Event Experience Team - TBD Sub Positions is trained.
Meetings
General Meetings
The club will hold weekly 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 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:
Emergency meetings can be called by an executive via:
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 The Canadian Cancer Society and Relay for Life Youth.
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. IAC, 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, IAC 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.
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.