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H.O. Lund Entomology Club

Article I. Important Terms 

  • Executive Officer: Elected member who holds one of the Executive Officer positions
  • General Meeting: Semi-regular event where basic decisions are made/discussed and information is disseminated
  • Special Meeting: Event held during irregular time where the entire group needs to address specific club needs
  • Simple Majority: A vote where the number of members present vote with greater than 50% of the members
  • Super Majority: A vote where the members present vote with greater than 2/3 of the members present, rounding up
  • Quorum: 10 students

Article II. Name

The official name of this organization shall be the H.O. Lund Entomology Club.

Article III. Purpose

The constitution of the H.O. Lund Entomology Club (hereafter referred to as Lund Club) in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia (UGA) sets forth the rules that will serve as the guiding principles of the organization. The Lund Club is an organization dedicated to the enhancement of the UGA student experience and serves a functional role within the department as coordinators of social-, service-, and professional development-oriented activities. The Executive Board of the Lund Club serves as the administrative body for the club and is directly responsible for organizing all club activities, as well as serving as a liaison for the graduate students to the faculty of the Department of Entomology, the Graduate Student Association, and the administration of the University of Georgia.

Article IV. Membership and Responsibilities

Section 1: Non-Discrimination Policy

Membership and all privileges, including voting and officer positions, must be extended to all students without regard to race, color, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Membership and all privileges, including voting and officer positions, must be extended to all students as stated in the University of Georgia Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX states that: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Section 2:       Membership

An invitation to participate in the Lund Club will be sent via the INVOLVE system (or some other official university approved system) to all graduate students in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia, to graduate students advised by adjunct faculty of the Department, and by request to students outside the department who are interested in being involved with the club. Invitations may be reissued upon request. Membership is limited to regularly enrolled UGA graduate students meeting the above criteria and automatically extended to all currently enrolled UGA Entomology graduate students. Membership and all privileges, including voting and officer positions, shall not be denied to any person because of age, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, disability, color, national origin, race, religion, genetic information, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Section 3:       General Member Responsibilities

All members of the Lund Club are encouraged to participate in the Lund Club’s activities and community outreach efforts. Participation in these activities is strictly voluntary. All voting Lund Club members are responsible for exercising their voting privileges on issues pertinent to the Lund Club and the Department of Entomology. Members are direct representatives of the Department of Entomology at all events and activities, and as such, are expected to conduct themselves accordingly, as well as serving as educators and conduits of information between the Department of Entomology and the public.

Section 4:       General Member Privileges

All members of the Lund Club retain the following privileges: the right to cast one vote in each officer election; the right to cast one vote for all motions during general member meetings; the right to attend all Lund Club sponsored professional development, social and service events; and the right to be eligible for prizes awarded by the Lund Club. 

Section 5:       Executive Board  Responsibilities

All elected officers of the Lund Club, by virtue of their individual positions, are considered part of the Executive Board. The Executive Board also includes a faculty advisor appointed by the Head of the Department of Entomology. All officers are expected to attend meetings of the Lund Club and of the Executive Council, as well as to participate in professional development, outreach, fundraising, and social activities. By accepting a role on the Executive Board, elected officers acknowledge and accept their responsibility to act with the best interest of all club members in mind.

Article V. Dues and Payment

The Lund Club is a local organization with no regional or national ties; therefore, the Lund Club remains committed to supporting interest and participation in the science of entomology by not requiring collection of membership dues. The Lund Club maintains an independent financial structure and generates its annual operating budget through fundraising activities, alumni donations, and compensatory funding from the Department of Entomology.

Article VI:     Officer Removal, Replacement, or Resignation

Section 1.       Selection/Replacement of Officers

The officers will be elected by a simple majority of the voting members of the Lund Club by electronic ballot in an open election to be held at the end of the spring semester of each academic year. Officer positions shall be reserved for graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Georgia. Officers take office immediately upon election and serve until the election the following year. In the event that any office becomes vacant, a new election for the vacant position will be conducted promptly. Until the election is held, the Vice-President or remaining officers will be responsible for fulfilling the duties of the vacant position.

Enrolled students are eligible to serve as an officer. Full-time enrollment is defined as 9 or more credit hours per semester. Only students who have paid their Student Activity Fee may serve as officers.

Section 2.       Impeachment and Removal of Officers/Advisors

If an officer fails to perform the specific duties of their office, either by malfeasance/misfeasance or repeatedly operating outside the capacity of their office, the Executive Council may be convened for the purposes of pursuing impeachment of that officer. Impeachment proceedings will be handled in a three-step process. First, the Executive Council will convene without the accused officer present to ascertain whether impeachment should proceed. If deemed necessary, a second meeting of the entire Executive Council, including the accused officer, will be convened to allow them the opportunity to defend their actions. Finally, the decision to remove the impeached officer from office must be decided as a ⅔ vote of no confidence by all voting members of the Lund Club without the impeached officer present. If impeached and subsequently removed from office, they are required to remit all Lund Club related materials to the Executive Council for transfer to a suitable replacement who will serve in that office for the remainder of the term.

In the event that the Executive Council finds itself at odds with the faculty advisor, the Council may be convened to discuss replacement of the advisor. If the decision to remove one of the advisors is unanimous, the President is responsible for meeting with the Head of the Department of Entomology for the purpose of discussing and appointing a new advisor. They are further empowered to approach other faculty and staff prior to meeting with the Department Head to assess willingness to accept the position if appointed.

Section 3.       Resignation of Officers

In the event that an officer feels that they can no longer serve in the full capacity of their office, they may submit a letter of resignation effectively vacating their respective position. The letter of resignation should be submitted electronically to the Secretary for forwarding to all members of the Executive Council. Upon receipt of the letter of resignation by all members of the Executive Council, the resignation is complete and a notice of office vacancy must be sent to the entire Lund Club membership. Replacement of the resignee will proceed as outlined in Article VI, Section 1 of this Constitution.

Article VII. Executive Officer Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1.       President

The President of the Lund Club is responsible for coordinating the Executive Council and oversees all Lund Club meetings. The President or their designee is the primary spokesperson for the Lund Club in working with the Department of Entomology, University administration, and the community at large. The President is responsible for registering the club and completing required trainings for club presidents, as mandated by the Engagement, Leadership, and Service Office at UGA. The President is also in charge of ensuring that the Lund Club is following all of the guidelines set by Center for Student Organizations. The President is responsible for identifying and applying for sources of funding to be used on behalf of the Lund Club. The President is responsible for organizing and coordinating H.O. Lund Week activities , with the assistance of any other members of the Executive Board as needed. The President is responsible for communicating directly with the Lund Club faculty advisor and keeping them apprised of all Lund Club activities. The President is also empowered to form ad-hoc committees and designate chairpersons to oversee these committees. On matters of dispute requiring a vote by the members present at a meeting convened for that purpose, the President will not vote except in the event of a tie and is responsible for recording votes. Finally, it is the responsibility of the President or the Treasurer to approve all transactions conducted by members of the Lund Club specifically related to club activities and functions. No other officers are empowered to approve financial transactions, and failure to obtain approval from the President or the Treasurer prior to purchase may result in denial of reimbursement.

Section 2.       Vice-President

The Vice-President of the Lund Club is responsible for assisting the President in the preparation of meetings and the coordination of activities, and acts as the proxy for the President when they are not able to perform their responsibilities. The Vice-President is responsible for confirming that the President is following the guidelines set forth by the Center for Student Organizations. The Vice President is responsible for organizing the annual Schmidt, Brady, and Lund Speaker Seminars, including communicating with selected speakers, organizing travel and accommodations with the Entomology business office, and keeping other Executive Board members apprised of seminar business. The Vice President is also responsible for verifying the results of any Lund Club vote.

Section 3.       Secretary

The Secretary of the Lund Club is responsible for recording minutes at all Lund Club meetings and forwarding those minutes to all club members prior to the end of the following week.  The Secretary is also responsible for coordination and dissemination of ballots, surveys, memos, letters, electronic mail, and all other forms of communication pertaining to matters relevant to the Lund Club membership (e.g., membership invitations from the INVOLVE network or University approved system) used by the University of Georgia) or of general interest to all members of the Department of Entomology. It is also the responsibility of the Secretary to serve as Historian by carefully archiving all important Lund Club materials and publicity (e.g. important documents to aid in the transition of the executive officers) in an accessible online storage space (currently, Lund Club’s Google Drive). The Secretary is also the webmaster for the Lund Club and is responsible for maintaining those webpages.

Section 4.       Treasurer

The Treasurer of the Lund Club is the primary fiscal officer for the Lund Club and is responsible for maintaining and documenting all financial accounts and fiduciary paperwork generated by the Executive Council and the membership during the academic year. The Treasurer will provide brief reports on the state of the Lund Club’s accounts at each general meeting, as well as providing an annual report of the Lund Club’s budget including all transactions, donations, and fundraising to the Executive Council. The Treasurer is entrusted with managing and cataloging the Lund Club’s merchandise intended for sale at events or through other channels. Additionally, the Treasurer coordinates the operation of the online marketplace for merchandise sales, currently hosted on Square. It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to coordinate all fundraising activities, including provisioning of sufficient petty cash to run the event and keeping track of cash, merchandise, and digital payment methods at events. If general Lund Club meetings are providing food, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to make the purchases in preparation. Finally, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer or the President to approve all transactions conducted by members of the Lund Club specifically related to club activities and functions. No other officers are empowered to approve financial transactions, and failure to obtain approval from the Treasurer or the President prior to purchase may result in denial of reimbursement.

Section 5.       Outreach Coordinator

The Outreach Coordinator (OC) of the Lund Club serves as the primary contact person for the Lund Club in matters pertaining to outreach activities. The OC is responsible for managing requests for outreach events as well as providing support to Lund Club members who wish to volunteer for these events by maintaining an event sign up sheet that includes event details, ensuring the departmental van is available for events, supplying educational materials for the event, and sending email reminders to members about upcoming outreach events. The OC is expected to ensure all members of the Lund Club have an equal opportunity to participate in outreach events and encourage even delegation of outreach responsibilities.

The OC is expected to work closely with the Insect Zoo Manager and other outreach positions (e.g., the Undergraduate Coordinator) to ensure materials are ready for events and to educate members on proper procedure for outreach, as outlined in Appendix A. 

Section 6.       Social Chair

The Social Chair is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing all social events held by the Lund Club. The Social Chair is primarily responsible for organizing social events throughout the academic year to promote a more open and congenial atmosphere within the Department of Entomology and among its students. These events typically include monthly Lund Club member gatherings and a Lund Week social event. The Social Chair is also responsible for the social media accounts that the Lund Club chooses to use (e.g., Instagram) and drafting emails for distribution by the Secretary about upcoming events.

Section 7.       GSA Representative

A representative will be elected each year to serve as a liaison to the Graduate Student Association (GSA). The Representative is responsible for serving as the primary mode of communication between the Lund Club and GSA by presenting issues raised by the Executive Council and the general membership of the Lund Club to these organizations. Therefore, attendance at meetings called by GSA is considered mandatory. In the event that the Representative is unable to make one of these meetings, it is their responsibility to designate a proxy to attend instead; this proxy should brief the Representative after the meeting so that they may make a report to the Lund Club at the next scheduled meeting. The proxy may be any active member of the Lund Club. Direct relay of pertinent information from GSA to the active members of the Lund Club is the responsibility of the representative.  

Article VIII. Meetings

Section 1.       Schedule

The Lund Club will meet a minimum of once per month during the Spring and Fall semesters. Meetings during Summer term will be convened as necessary. Meetings are convened and presided over by the President. Additional meetings will be scheduled as needed by the Executive Board. The officers shall meet before every scheduled general meeting. The President is responsible for writing a meeting agenda before every meeting, which the Secretary should send to all members along with a virtual meeting option (e.g., Zoom link) at least 24 hours before the meeting begins.

Section 2.       Model for Meetings

Meetings will be conducted as a cross between a democratic and town council format. Most issues will be dealt with on a consensus, town council format, while contentious issues will be voted upon by the membership in attendance. Matters pertaining to approval of the previous meeting minutes or the allocation of funds by the Lund Club must be handled according to proper parliamentary procedure. The President does not vote except in the event of a tie. Quorum for general meetings is defined as 10 members.

Section 3.       Open Meetings

Meetings of the Lund Club are open to all entomology undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. However, voting privileges are restricted only to  Lund Club members. While most meetings are open, the Lund Club reserves the right to convene closed sessions, excluding all undergraduate students, faculty, and staff members from attendance. In addition, the Executive Board may be convened by any member of the Executive Board, as needed, in a special meeting without the full membership for the purpose of coordination of activities, soliciting advice in matters pertaining to normal operation of the Lund Club, and to address issues dealing with Lund Club administration.

Article IX. Departmental Communications

Section 1. Communications with Members

The President and Secretary have the authorization to send emails to UGA’s Entomology Graduate Student Listserv. If the email pertains to something outside of day-to-day club operations (e.g., general body meeting announcements, social event reminders), a simple majority of Officers is required to send. Officers should be given 1 business day (24 hours) to respond; no response is not counted as either a “yes” or a “no”.

Section 2. Communications with the Department

If (an) individual graduate student(s) wishes to send an email to UGA’s Entomology Department on behalf of Lund Club, they should send a draft of the proposed email to the Secretary. The Secretary will forward the email to the rest of the Officers and the Faculty Advisor. The Officers should then draft a poll (e.g., Google poll online)for Lund Club members to vote that includes the email message in full but excludes the name of the student. This poll should clearly define the time and date after which responses are not accepted and include space for comments. This poll should be sent to the Graduate Student Listserv. Members should be given 2 business days (48 hours) to vote; no response is not counted as either a “yes” or a “no”. A supermajority is needed to “accept” the message as a Lund Club communication.

If the message is accepted, the Secretary should send this email to the business office for distribution as a Lund Club email within 24 hours of the poll’s close. If the message is not accepted, the Secretary should contact the initial student(s) and let them know within 24 hours of the poll’s close. 

Should a Lund Club member wish to send an email to UGA’s Entomology Department on their own behalf, they are free to do so and utilize channels outside of Lund Club such as the UGA Entomology Office Staff, Graduate Student Coordinator, or their PI. Individual member(s) may not send out communications including, but not limited to email, on behalf of the Lund Club without following the procedure outlined above. 

Article X. Robert’s Rules of Order

For procedures not covered in this constitution and addressing controversial topics that cannot be resolved by consensus, Robert’s Rules of Order will be implemented. Any questions of proper procedure should be directed to the President for clarification and implementation.

Article XI. Ratification and Amendments

This Constitution is a “living” document that must be ratified by a supermajority vote, excluding the President, and may be amended only by a supermajority vote of the full voting membership at a general meeting or by electronic vote if quorum cannot be convened. Proposed amendments will be read at a general meeting or disseminated in written or electronic format by the President.

Appendix A: Use of Lund Club Zoo Holdings

Scheduling 

Requests to borrow items belonging to the Lund Club must be submitted by email to the OC at least one week in advance and copied to the President if the position is vacant. The OC is responsible for communicating with the Insect Zoo Manager and requesting materials for outreach events.

Responsibilities

While in possession of specimens, the person(s) participating in the outreach is/are personally responsible for the welfare of the live animals and preserved specimens. These responsibilities also extend to include improper exhibiting and/or handling. If a person is taking live specimens to an outreach event for the first time, they must review the “Outreach Guidelines” document to learn how to properly care for specimens during and after an outreach event.

Items borrowed must be returned within 12 hrs of being removed. Exceptions must be approved by the Insect Zoo Manager. 

Any and all altercations occurring during an outreach or activity must be reported promptly to the OC. This includes any bites, stings, unusual behavior (on the arthropods’ behalf), injuries, or presumed natural death.

Policy Infractions

If death or harm that results in diminished use of a specimen occurs from neglect or mishandling, the person(s) responsible for the neglect or mishandling will be responsible for covering the costs of replacing the specimen and/or habitat. Infractions or violations of these policies that result in the death or endangerment of specimens borrowed by any person(s) will result in immediate restriction of access and may also result in complete loss of borrowing privileges and possible fine to cover the cost of replacing the lost animals.

Appendix B: Outreach Guidelines (Abridged)

Lund Club volunteers in classrooms and at events around Athens to help educate people about insects. We work closely with the Insect Zoo at UGA and our own teaching collections to bring materials to people. The full Outreach Guidelines document can be found here.

Undergraduate Volunteers

Undergraduates must always be accompanied by graduate students at outreach events. Graduate students will be responsible for picking up and dropping off materials and overseeing their care.

Working with Children

Much of our outreach happens in schools or with children. All volunteers should complete 4H’s “Working with Youth” training prior to volunteering with children. This one-time training takes about 15 minutes.

Outreach Guidelines

Please review the guidelines below prior to events:

  • Keep Cornell drawers closed and remind people not to tap on glass or pick up displays to prevent damage.
  • Keep insect jars closed during transport. Double check lids before leaving an event.
  • Keep insects out of direct sunlight so they don’t overheat.
  • Insects should always be held over a table to prevent injury in case of falls. Children should always hold insects with two hands.
  • Stay on the same side of the table as participants when they are handling insects.
  • Encourage participants to wash hands after handling insects.