Constitution

As you all know, we’re in the process of developing a PR club here at SUU. It’s an interesting preposition. What’s the point of the club, what is our goal? How are we to function? These are all questions that are built directly into the constitution of our future organization.

Creating a club charter that guarantees success is not the simplest thing in the world to do. In fact, it’s rather difficult. How do you decide who is eligible to run for office? How do you decide what defines a member. How do you create a structure that actually breeds prosperity? And how do you do that while also moving towards destroying the club, and replacing it with something else?

It’s actually not as complicated as it sounds. The main requirement is a combination of direct authority and flexibility. There needs to be a clear line of command with every possible issue, and the ability to create those lines as needed. It must be intentionally vague, and yet it must be expressly clear.

The structure I have chosen to base our constitution on is actually something that I perfected during my work with QSA. It’s a hybrid between the classical club structure, and a non-profit structure. The basic premise is that each member has a controlling interest in the club; they are the board. And from that board, a set amount of people are elected to run the organization, and to see to it’s every day needs. These are known as directors.

Each director is tasked with one specific area of expertise. You need someone to run your finances, someone to manage the troops, and someone to oversee the structure. You also need the ability to add and subtract different positions as required.

You put each of these directors in charge of something, and elect an executive director to head them all. The executive director steers the different positions, and oversees the completion of separate tasks.

It will be interesting to see how this structure works itself out. I feel that it gives us the optimal tools to create a long lasting organization, with real potential. I look forward to unveiling it on Tuesday.