NMSU Horsemen's Association By-Laws 09/13/2020
Article I. Name The name of this student organization shall be known as the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Horsemen's Association.
Article II. Purpose A. To provide an organization for equine oriented students to participate in activities that further develop their knowledge and experience in the horse industry. B. To promote the development of organized intercollegiate horse activities and public service opportunities. C. To encourage the improvement of scholarship and develop competent leadership among student members. D. To incorporate and work alongside the NMSU Ranch Horse Team and NMSU Equestrian Team with their events and duties, as well as the Therapeutic Riding Program of NMSU.
Article III. Members and Membership A. Membership is open to any undergraduate in good standing at New Mexico State University, who, as set forth by the association agrees to uphold the by-laws of the association. B. Members must adhere to the code of conduct described in the NMSU Student Handbook. Members in good standing shall not be on academic or conduct suspension/probation. C. Each member in good standing has the right to one vote on all matters concerning the club, its activities, the election of its officers and other business as governed by these by-laws. Also, each member is entitled to participate in any activity restricted to club members. D. Members are responsible for promoting the purposes of the association, supporting the elected officers, and abiding by the decisions made by the officers under the powers delegated to them herein.
Article IV. Officers and Executive Committee A. Officers shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, and ACES Representative. There may be two Reporters and two ACES Representatives elected per semester if there are candidates willing to run for those positions. These officers comprise the executive committee. B. Qualifications of officers 1. Must be a member in good standing for at least one semester prior to the beginning of term. 2. Must be enrolled as a full-time student with an overall 2.0-grade point average at the time of the election. May not be on conduct or scholastic probation. 3. President shall be a junior or senior during the term of office as defined by having completed at least 2 academic years of college work. 4. Vice-President shall be a junior or senior during the term of office as defined by having completed at least 2 academic years of college work. 5. In a situation where complying with 3 and 4 above would seriously impair this association, with a majority vote of the active membership, providing a quorum is met, and an agreement of all the advisors, the requirements as stated in 3 and 4 above may be suspended for one year.
C. Duties, Responsibilities, and Powers of each Officer 1. All officers -are bound by and responsible for upholding the by-laws that govern this association. -are responsible for developing opportunities and projects for the association that will further the purposes of the association outlined herein. • Serve as role models at all activities. • Must maintain order during meetings • Officers should be an example of the membership of the association, therefore should be mindful of all members, and act accordingly. • Executive committee with the advisor reserves the right to remove from office any officer that fails to comply with the rules set forth by this association. Can include, but not limited to, discipline for failure to do their job, dereliction of duties, absences from meetings or activities, or misconduct. • Must uphold the will of the group, regardless of personal opinions. 1. President a. Prepare meeting room for meetings b. Prepare meeting agenda and preside over all association meetings. c. Prepare all new and unfinished business for discussion d. Research and have needed information available for informed decisions e. Preside over all association meetings f. use proper etiquette in running a meeting (Parliamentary Procedure) g. Must always be able to maintain order of meetings h. Must be business-like, keeps in mind getting business done I. Coordinate efforts and ensure that all officers have carried out the duties of their respectable office. j. Serve as an ex-officio member of all standing committees. k. Maintain liaison with other clubs and the University in general. l. The President is the chairman of the Executive Committee and will: a. Call for Executive Committee meetings when needed. b. Notify Executive Committee members of the meeting date, place, and time. c. Preside over Executive Committee meetings where existing problems, upcoming opportunities, etc. are discussed. Take a vote in all issues to be recommended to the club. d. Present Executive Committee report to the association at the beginning of each meeting. m. Responsible for coordinating efforts with other officers, advisors, and clubs. 1. Vice President a. Serve as an ex-officio member of standing committees: i. Coordinate efforts of all standing committee chairmen. Arrange for and conduct a "kick-off " meeting for all committee chairmen. At this meeting, all chairmen should be given job descriptions. ii. Keep in close contact with each committee chairman and attend their meetings when necessary. Motivate them. iii. Present committee's plans to Executive Committee for discussion. iv. Remind all standing committee chairmen to present committee reports for each meeting. v. Collect and file a copy of all committee chairmen's documents at the end of each year. vi. Call meetings with all committee chairmen as necessary to maintain good working relations between all committees. b. The Vice President is to preside over meetings in the absence of the President. 1. Secretary a. Take minutes at all Executive Committee meetings and all regular club meetings. b. Receive all general club mail. File or distribute to advisors, officers, or committee chairmen for appropriate actions. c. Maintain a complete typed list of past activities of the club for use on scrapbooks, display posters, newsletters, etc. d. Maintain an ample supply of all forms used by club officers and committee chairmen. e. Maintain an orderly file of all association records and membership information. f. Keep an updated list of members and contact them for meeting dates, changes, etc. 1. Treasurer a. Meet with the advisor(s) and finance committee at the end of the old year and at the beginning of the new year to prepare a budget. b. Represent the association at all NMSU meetings to enhance the financial support of the association. c. Present a complete report on the association's financial status at each meeting. d. Receive and record all incoming money. Write thank you letters when appropriate. e. Pay all bills promptly. Arrange for someone to pay the bills over the summer. f. Make sure the association adheres to the budget as closely as possible. g. Work closely with the finance committee 1. Reporter a. Send upcoming event notices to relevant media (campus and public) prior to all special activities. b. Arrange for media coverage (local newspaper, radio, and television) before and/or during special activities. c. Send stories with pictures to magazines and/or newspapers immediately after all special events. d. Prepare and post public announcements of upcoming meetings or events. e. Compile pictures and correspondence throughout the year to do a scrapbook for advertising and recruiting. D. Executive Committee As defined in Article IV, Section I, has the responsibility and authority to act on matters of importance in the event a timely decision is required in the routine conduct of association business. Otherwise all matters will be presented at regular meetings for approval of the membership. 1. ACES Representative a. Attend all ACES Council meetings as a representative of the NMSU Horsemen’s Club, and share all information on upcoming events in the club to the Council. b. Relay information from the Council meetings to the club as a whole, regarding events, finances, changes, etc. c. Communicate with ACES Council as a whole, for the club.
E. Elections 1. Election of officers shall be held during the month of April of each school year under the supervision of the current president. 2. Term of each office begins on May 1 of the current year and ends on April 30th of the following year.
3. A nominating committee composed of the executive committee will nominate a slate of officers and advisor(s) to be presented before the membership. In addition, other nominations may be made by any member in good standing. All nominations must be made and nominations must cease in sufficient time that at least one regularly scheduled meeting will be conducted after cessation of nominations prior to the election. 4. Each person nominated for an office must be present at the time of election and cannot be elected to more than one office per school year. 5. A nominee must receive fifty percent plus one vote of the total voting membership present at the time of the election in order to assume office, providing quorum is met. In the event that no candidate receives such a vote, the two candidates with the most votes will proceed with a run-off election to determine the successful candidate to the office. 6. In case of a tie vote, a runoff election will be conducted at that time. 7. Officers will be elected in this order: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, and ACES Representatives. 8. In case the President cannot fulfill his/her responsibility for the elected term, the Vice- President will become the president for the remainder of that term. A special election will be held at the next scheduled meeting to fill the Vice-President vacancy for the remainder of the term. 9. All other officer vacancies will be filled by appointment of the executive committee, with approval of the membership
Article V. University Advisors A. Advisors shall be full-time members of the faculty or staff at NMSU. B. Advisors shall be interested in and dedicated to the horse industry and activities of this association, and shall be elected by a majority vote of the club membership at the time of officer elections, providing quorum is met. C. Advisors will serve the same term as officers and may be reelected.
Article VI. Committees A. Standing Committees and Special Committees The standing committees of the NMSU Horsemen's Association shall be: 1. NMSU Ranch Horse Team 2. NMSU Therapeutic Riding Program 3. NMSU IHSA Equestrian Team 4. Fundraising
Special committees will be formed, and members appointed, by the executive committee as needed. B. Requirements of committee members 1. Must be a member in good standing. 2. Chairmen and committee members shall be appointed by the executive committee as needed. 3. Committee chairmen are responsible for providing a report of committee activities to the executive board at each regularly scheduled meeting. C. Duties of standing committees 1. NMSU Ranch Horse Team: Maintain up to date information and a list of members on the NMSU Ranch Horse Team, and relay this information to the Horsemen’s Association Officers. This committee will also be responsible for maintaining the finances of the Ranch Horse Team, which are correlated with the Association itself. Any events that are put on by this committee are subject to having help provided by the Horsemen’s Association, and vice versa. 2. NMSU Therapeutic Riding Program: Maintain up to date information on those helping with the program, and those who are interest. Aid the program in cliental work, appointments, as well as trainings. Relay information to the Association itself pertaining to opportunities that members may be able to utilize. 3. NMSU IHSA Equestrian Team: Maintain up to date information on those interested in participating on the team yearly, as well as control finances that are required for different events. This would also require a relay of information to the Association itself, in order to keep the club updated on travel and expenses. 4. Fundraising: Assist the treasurer and advisor(s) at the end of the old year and beginning of the new year to prepare a budget and make recommendations to the executive committee on ways to fund the budget.
Article VII. Meetings A. Regular meetings will be held every first and third Thursday of every month that classes are in session during the fall and spring academic semesters. B. The executive committee may call for routine executive committee meetings as needed. Any special meeting of the general membership will be called for by the executive committee as needed. It is the responsibility of the executive committee to inform the membership of any special meetings. C. For this organization, a quorum will be defined as 50% + 1 of the total paid members on the membership roster maintained by the secretary. In the event that a quorum is not present at a regularly scheduled meeting, a vote by 2/3 of the members present will be required to suspend the quorum rule, so that normal business matters may be conducted. D. Voting procedures. 1. All voting for officer candidates will be determined by a secret ballot process or by way of ballot online that stay anonymous. 2. Voting on other matters of association business will be decided by a majority vote by the membership, recommendations will come from the executive committee and association advisors. E. The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall serve as the authority on proper parliamentary procedure for this association.
Article VIII. Finances A. Annual membership dues will not be considered or required.
B. Holding and Expenditure of Association Monies 1. All monetary transactions of this association shall be handled through an account established for the NMSU Horsemen's Association at Wells Fargo Bank in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The treasurer, as well as the President will have access to this account. 2. All correspondence regarding this account is to be mailed to: NMSU Horsemen's Association Advisor, PO Box 30003 MSC 3-I, Las Cruces, NM 88003. 3. Association monies may be encumbered by a majority vote of the membership, providing quorum is met or by a majority vote of the executive committee, with approval of the membership 4. All monetary transactions of the association require the approval of an association advisor.
Article IX. Amendment of the By-Laws A by-law may be amended or passed at any regular business meeting of the association by a majority vote providing quorum is met. However, any changes to the by-laws will not become effective until the most current version of the by-laws is approved by the NMSU Campus Activities Office during the annual re-chartering process
