Crew 75 Constitution

Preamble:

We, the members of Venture Crew 75, in order to create a quality program for Venturers involved in this Venturing Crew by living by the Venturing Oath and the rules of the Boy Scouts of America, establish this constitution. This Constitution is to be ratified by the youth members of the organization by a vote of two-thirds majority. Any changes to this Constitution must also be voted upon by a two thirds majority.

Article I:  Name & Chartered Organization

The name of this organization is Venturing Crew 75 of the Black River District, Occoneechee Council, and Boy Scouts of America.  The Venturing Crew is chartered by the American Legion Post 116, 6400 Johnson Pond Road, Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

Article II:  Membership

Section 1:  Membership is open to all boys and girls who are between the ages of 14 and 20 years old.

Section 2:  Prospective members shall not be disqualified due to race, color, creed, religion, or sex.

Section 3:  Members must follow the guidelines and regulations set forth by the National Boy Scouts of America and the local Occoneechee Council, Black River District and guidelines set forth in this Constitution.

Section 4:  Members will be considered active if they have filled out the proper paperwork and paid the dues set forth by this constitution. Providing that they also fulfill the attendance requirement set forth by Article 2 sub-section 5.

Section 5: Members will be required to attend half of all outings and half of all meetings or they will immediately lose their active status. An attendance roster will be kept by the secretary-treasurer and submitted to the vice-president of administration every 3 months.

1. Concerning extenuating circumstances the executive committee may vote to give a member a leave of absence where they will be temporarily immune to the clause set forth in Section 5. The length of the leave of absence will be determined by the executive committee. Following the end of the leave of absence, the clause of section 5 is re-instated.

• A member who is on leave of absence may not attend and crew functions during his or her leave of absence

Section 6: Appeals to removal from the Venturing Crew

1.  There may be an appeal to removal from the Venturing Crew after 3 months of losing active status. Appeals will be approved or denied by the executive committee by a vote of one-half.

• If an appeal is denied, that person must wait another 3 months to appeal again. Following denial of 2 appeals, that person will be considered ineligible for membership permanently. 

Section 7: The membership shall be permanently capped at a total number of male and female Venturers of 15.

Section 8: Any Venturer may be asked to leave by the Executive committee for breaking the code of conduct set forth in Section 3. Any removal pending section 8 may not be appealed.

Article III:  Uniforms

Section 1: The Standard Crew Uniform, as Voted on by its members is:  For meetings and outings, while traveling, either the Venturing Uniform Shirt and Blue Jeans or Blue Jean Shorts.

Section 2:  Class A uniforms are to be worn on super-activities while touring and traveling.  Class A uniforms consist of Green Shirt, Zip-off pants, leather belt, and boots.

Article IV:  Officers

Section 1:  The available officer positions are:  Crew President, Administrative Vice President, Program Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2:  A single term shall be 6 months.  If one wishes to hold the position longer than the designated time, a re-election process must take place.  The elections shall occur on June 2, and on December 2.

Section 3:  The Duties of each officer are as follows:

President: The primary leader of the crew
Responsibilities:

• Youth leader of the crew
• Plans and implements crew program in cooperation with other officers, members and advisors
• Represents crew at Venturing Officers’ Association (VOA), round table, and other scout and chartered organization functions
• Assists crew advisor in conducting crew officers’ seminar (training & planning)
• Appoints youth chairs for crew activities and special crew officers
• Presents crew annual report to chartered organization at conclusion of the term of the office
• Assesses on an ongoing basis whether the responsibilities of the officers are being considered and carried out effectively.
• Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment.

Vice President of Administrations: Leads crew’s recruiting and recognition activities

Responsibilities:

• Administrative officer of the crew
• Assumes responsibilities of the President in his or her absence Leads the recruiting and admission of new members during the year
• Organizes and recognizes the achievements of crew members
• Conducts opening and closing ceremonies for meetings and special occasions
• Attends all crew activities Participates in council VOA program planning conference
• Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment, and seeks to reflect this spirit in the recruiting of new members and through recognizing the achievements of crew members.
• Manages the upkeep and amendments of the Constitution in conjunction with the secretary-treasurer.

Vice President of Programs: Leads the development of the crew’s program and activities

Responsibilities:

• Program officer of the crew, and in that position, arranges the program planning process for the crew
• Collects and maintains a crew activity file consisting of the program capability inventory, a list of crew member interests and suggestions for activities, program resources and an annual activity schedule
• Determines the interests of the crew members on an ongoing basis (using Venturing activity interest surveys)
• Provides support for the chair and committee for each crew activities
• Maintains an up-to-date calendar of crew meetings and activities
• Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Secretary-Treasurer: Leads the crew’s communication and also serves as the youth financial officer of the crew

Responsibilities:

• Communication officer of the crew, and in that position, manages all communications and publicity of the crew
• Maintains crew membership and attendance records and, handles crew correspondence and minutes.
• Coordinates crew publicity through local media, crew newsletters, and the crew’s telephone network
• Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment
• Financial officer of the crew, and in that position, maintains financial records and monitors the crew budget
• Collects and disburses crew funds
• Communicates with the other officers and members on a regular basis to keep them informed about the crew’s finances
• Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Quartermaster: Tracks the Crew Equipment

Responsibilities:

• Keeps records on crew equipment.
• Makes sure equipment is in good working condition.
• Issues equipment and makes sure it is returned in good condition.
• Makes suggestions for new or replacement items.
• Works with the crew committee member responsible for equipment.
• Sets a good example.
• Enthusiastically and correctly wears the Scout uniform (all four parts).
• Lives by the Scout Oath and Law.
• Shows Scout spirit

Crew Guide:  Leads in Aspects of the Crew

Responsibilities:

• The Crew Guide serves as an individual mentor for new Venturers, assisting in their understanding of the Venturing program and participation in crew activities.
• A crew guide can be responsible for the guidance on the following:

• Chaplain Aide
• Guide to a Den Chief
• Past President Guiding a New President
• Training and Leadership building

Crew Historian:  Preserves the history of the Crew

Responsibilities:

• The Crew Guide serves as an individual mentor for new Venturers, assisting in their understanding of the Venturing program and participation in crew activities.
• A crew guide can be responsible for the guidance on the following:

• Chaplain Aide
• Guide to a Den Chief
• Past President Guiding a New President
• Training and Leadership building

Activity Chair

Responsibilities:

• The Crew Guide serves as an individual mentor for new Venturers, assisting in their understanding of the Venturing program and participation in crew activities.
• A crew guide can be responsible for the guidance on the following:

• Chaplain Aide
• Guide to a Den Chief
• Past President Guiding a New President
• Training and Leadership building

Den Chief

• The Crew Guide serves as an individual mentor for new Venturers, assisting in their understanding of the Venturing program and participation in crew activities.
• A crew guide can be responsible for the guidance on the following:

• Chaplain Aide
• Guide to a Den Chief
• Past President Guiding a New President
• Training and Leadership building

Article V:  Elections and Voting

Section 1:  The current Crew President shall conduct the elections with the assistance from the Crew Advisor(s).

Section 2:  Any currently registered member of the crew can nominate a candidate for a position.  Candidates being nominated must also be currently registered in Crew 75.

Section 3:  At least one other member must second that nomination.

Section 4:  Every member must vote in a secret ballot for each position.

Section 5:  Votes will be decided upon a simple majority.  In the event that a candidate is running un-opposed, members must either vote to approve or not to approve the candidate for office.  If the candidate is not approved, a re-election may take place in attempt to reach majority.

Section 6: If there is a deadlock vote in the executive committee or the general crew, and neither parties are willing to submit after a lengthy discussion, the advisor reserves the right to make an executive decision by casting a vote in a deadlock scenario. This is the only time an advisor will be allowed to vote in a crew business decision or election.

Article VI:  Crew Business

Issues that are brought upon the crew shall be decided upon a consensus.  If, however, a compromise cannot be reached, a simple majority vote shall be held regarding the issue.

Article VII:  Meetings

Section 1:  General Crew meetings shall be held on the first and third Sunday of every month.

Section 2:  Meetings are held starting at 2:00 PM.

Section 3:  The location of the meetings shall be at the American Legion Post 116, unless otherwise noted.

Section 4: The only people allowed attending business meetings or general meetings will be as follows. Any other person will not be allowed to attend.

1. Youth Members of the Venturing Crew
2. Advisors of the Venturing Crew
3. Appointed Consultants
4. Prospective Youth Members

Article VIII:  Dues

Section 1:  The only dues required is that set by national to register in the Venturing program.

Section 2:  There are no monthly dues.

Section 3:  Future dues are to be determined depending on the Crew’s financial status.

Article IX:  Crew Financing

Section 1:  Fund-raising shall financially benefit the individual, rather than the crew.

Section 2:  If needed, the crew may conduct Crew Fundraisers only if necessary and approved by a majority vote by the crew membership.

Article X:  Amendments

Section 1:  Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing at least one week prior to discussion of the amendment at any regularly scheduled crew meeting.
Section 2:  Proposed amendments must be ratified by a 2/3 vote of the crew membership.