The Constitution of the Polybian Society

Whereas it is necessary to facilitate open discourse and debate on Penns campus, celebrate a diversity of opinions and foster a community of vocal, engaged, and intelligent students, we the undersigned hereby declare that this Constitution reflects our vision and our values while serving as a template for the constructive continuity of the Polybian Society.

Bona cogitation sine bono collquio est bana.

Article 1 The Name

This Society, convened in the year two-thousand and thirteen of the Common Era, shall be named the THE POLYBIAN SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. It shall be one of the six major departments of the University of Pennsylvania Government and Politics Association. It shall henceforth be referred to as the Society.

Article 11 The Object

The Object of the Society, as part of the Government and Politics Association of the University of Pennsylvania, shall be to provide a non-partisan forum for debate, where a diversity of participants may inform and debate their colleagues. This group shall celebrate the full spectrum of ideas among its members, while creating a spirit of community among its members, at the University of Pennsylvania and in future life.

Article 111 Membership

Section 1 - The Members A. The membership of the Society shall consist of Active Members, Inactive Members and Alumni. One cannot be an Inactive or Alumni Member without having first been an Active Member. B. This Society shall not engage in discriminatory membership policies. C. No members under the Age of Majority as determined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall be obligated to perform physical labor at the bequest of the Polybian Board. D. The enumeration in this Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by members. Section 2 - Active Members A. Any undergraduate or graduate student of the University of Pennsylvania shall be eligible for Active Membership in the Society. Active Membership shall henceforth be referred to as membership. B. A prospective member shall attain membership after having: a. Attended at least one Symposium during the semester the candidate is seeking membership. b. Declared ones candidacy for membership via submitting a formal request online or in paper.

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c. Finished the process of initiation. d. Completed the requirement of dues to the satisfaction of the Quaestor. e. Proven their full time attendance at the University of Pennsylvania. The members of the Society shall have all rights entailed in this constitution, including but not limited to: a. The right to vote in all decisions and elections of the Society, exempting where specifically stipulated. b. The right to run for any office, having attained the requirements for office. c. The right to run and vote for positions in the Government and Politics Association, as governed by their by-laws. d. The right to attend all public and private events of the Society. In order to retain membership in the Society, all members must: a. Fulfil the dues requirement each semester by the specified date. b. Attend at least three Symposia each semester. c. Ensure the Vertor has their name on the Active Members list. Should a previously Active Member fail to reach the criteria for maintaining their membership, they will be de-elevated to Inactive Membership. In this capacity, they will still be welcome at the Society, albeit as a person who does not contribute fully to the Societys well being. Inactive members will have a limit of attending four (4) events per semester that they fail to pay dues in. If any member of the Society shall accept, claim, receive or retain, any transfer admission from another University, such person shall immediately cease to be an Active Member of the Society, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under them, or either of them.

Section 3 - Alumni Members A. Members of the Society graduate to Alumni Membership upon the receipt of the final expected graduation diploma from the University of Pennsylvania. B. Alumni members shall retain all rights of membership except that of voting and holding office. C. Alumni members are not subject to the requirements of membership as stipulated in Article III - 2 - D.

Article 1V Traditions of the Society

Section 1 - Initiation A. To be considered an Active Member, a prospective member must attend an Initiation. Beyond specific events determined by the Praetor and Tribune, six events will occur at all initiations.

a. Candle(s) shall be lit at each initiation, marking the number of classes initiated. These will stay lit until the initiated members are accepted into the Society. b. A reading of all current Active Members as well as prospective candidates c. All Prospective Members must read the Polybian Society Oath: d. Following the Oath, all members in attendance will sing the Red and Blue and the Polybian Fight Song. e. Newly-initiated members will sign the Membership Book f. The Consul will formally recognize the new members. B. There shall be no cruel or unusual punishments nor demeaning or unbecoming actions inflicted upon anyone before, during, or after the induction process. C. The Vertor and Praetor shall invite newly appointed GPA officers to the first two initiations they are able to attend. Section 2 - Obscura A. The official motto of the Society shall be Bona cogitatio sine bono colloquio est vana. B. The official Fight Song of the Society shall be Helan Gr. C. A week shall be defined as a period of at least four consecutive days when the majority of University of Pennsylvania students can be expected to be on campus and able to attend meetings.

Article V Offices of the Society

Section 1 - The Board A. The Board of the Polybian Society shall consist of the following ten positions: Consul, Praetor, Philosophe, Tribune, Quaestor, Vertor, Scriptor, Bacchus, Deobfuscator, and Amanuensis. B. The President of GPA shall also serve as a voting member of the Polybian Board and the Vice President of GPA as an observer. Should the President not be present, the Vice President may vote in his stead. C. The GPA Executive Board shall select one member of the Polybian Board (other than the Consul, President, and Vice President) to serve as an observer on the GPA Executive Board. This person, known as the legate, shall serve as the liaison for the Executive Board within the Polybian Board. This person shall be chosen by the Executive Board at the start of each semester. D. A majority shall be defined as the majority of voting members at any Board meeting, with at least three (3) votes in favor. A Supermajority shall be defined as having eight (8) votes in favor. E. All members will be invited to the weekly board meetings. Should circumstances require a smaller, private, group meet, the Board shall find an alternate time.

Section 2 - Duties of the Officers A. The Duties of the Consul shall include the following: a. Act as the Head of the Society and the Face of the Community b. Sit on the Government and Politics Executive Board c. Create an Agenda for and direct Polybian Board Meetings d. Direct Media Outreach, including any press releases or interviews e. Maintain Decency and Attendance at events f. Be elected solely in the December Elections B. The Duties of the Praetor shall include the following: a. In Case of the Removal of the Consul from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Praetor. b. Lead Debate Committee Meetings c. Improve the quality of events, and develop new formats d. Act as the Master of Ceremonies for Debates i. The Praetor shall appoint a chair, whether himself, Consul or other Polybian Member e. Collaborates with Tribune on Initiation C. The Duties of the Philosophe shall include the following: a. Act as the Intellectual driver of the society b. Generate content for debates, including i. Potential topics ii. News articles and summaries as preparation iii. Questions to further debate c. Maintain Constitutional Records d. Maintain Polybianite Papers e. Assist with Dinner Chats D. The Duties of the Tribune shall include the following: a. Head the Development Committee b. Serve as recruitment officer i. Identify and court potential members with personal invitations and meetings c. Maintain attendance records d. Organize Initiation along with Praetor E. The Duties of the Quaestor shall include the following: a. Sit on the Treasury Committee along with the President and Treasurer of GPA b. Present at least one State of the Aerarium Address per semester c. Maintain a semesterly budget, financial records and long term financial goals d. Oversee the reimbursement process

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e. Seek sources of revenue for the Society f. Collect Membership dues, set deadlines and oversee Financial Aid decisions The Duties of the Vertor shall include the following: a. Maintain an official and up to date list of Acting Members b. Maintain Society Membership Book c. Stimulate a community among Members d. Be responsible for retention of Members and assists with Dues collection e. Organize non-periodic society activities i. These may entail Diplomacy, Opera Visits or Movie Nights f. Work closely with Bacchus to facilitate these events The Duties of the Bacchus shall include the following: a. Organize the logistics of all events b. Orchestrate and execute a number of parties c. Delegate setup and cleanup of events d. Provide Food, Beverages and Rooms for all events e. Organize Day of Logistics for Dinner Chats f. Maintain the physical symbols of the Society a. This shall include preventing the desecration, theft, or burning of any Imagery of the Polybian Society. The Duties of the Scriptor shall include the following: a. Head the Outreach Committee b. Set general agenda for publicity c. Maintain communication with Alumni Members d. Contact Professors and speakers for events e. Contact other societies both at Penn and elsewhere f. Look for other relevant external events and competitions g. Maintain and update the Polybian Website The Duties of the Deobfuscator shall include the following: a. Execute periodic, consistent tasks b. Maintain a full set of Meeting Minutes c. Maintain multiple listservs appropriate to the Society d. Publish the Diurnum on a weekly basis The Duties of the Amanuensis shall include the following: a. Orchestrate general visual design work i. Create posters for events and manage their distribution ii. Maintain images related to the Polybian Society iii. Procure swag for members b. Update Website for events c. Update Facebook events and publicity d. Update Twitter appropriately

Article V1 Limits on Power

Section 1 - Removal of Board Members and Extraordinary Reelections A. Should the GPA President consider an election inappropriate, he/she is empowered to mitigate the entire results of said election. This must be done in writing submitted to the outstanding Consul within one week of the election having taken place. B. At any time in the semester the GPA Executive Board may deem the Polybian Board insolvent and demand another election. Two Thirds of the Executive Board must declare that this is necessary. a. The current Consul and entire board of the Society may be permitted to run again. b. The GPA Executive Board will specify whether they want a new election of just the Consul or of the entire Polybian Board. C. At any time in the semester the members of the Polybian Society can hold a vote of no-confidence in the entire board. A two-thirds majority of the Societys Active Members, is necessary for a vote of no-confidence to take place. Such vote of noconfidence must then be submitted in writing to the Consul and copied to the GPA President. Should this occur, the entire board will be up for reelection. Signatures will be sufficient to prove affirmation. D. In order to remove an officer from their position, Two Thirds of Active Members must affirm that they have neglected their duty. Should this occur, the Consul will immediately announce an exceptional voting date. Signatures will be sufficient to prove affirmation. E. Any extraordinary reelections caused by these clauses will take place at a date between one week and three weeks from the formal submission of request. Section 2 - Expulsion from the Society for Behavior A. The de-membership process requires: a. An official meeting with the Consul over transgressions b. A hearing and vote by the Board of the Polybian Society should the incident not be resolved. The vote shall require a Supermajority of the Board to pass. c. A member of the Polybian Society may be stripped of their membership should they exhibit unlawful or inappropriate behavior. Harassment, discrimination, fraud or violence clearly fall under this category. B. Once stripped of membership, there will be no refunds on dues, though reimbursements may still be accepted at the discretion of the Treasury Committee. C. Should an expelled member wish to return to the society, they may petition for readmission to the Society by submitting to the Consul, in writing, a Writ of Purgatio explaining the circumstances of expulsion. The Writ shall then be read at

the next regularly stated business meeting of the Society. Upon passing a simple majority vote, the individual shall be reinstated as an Inactive Member of the Society. D. No member shall be stripped of the benefits of membership without due process of law, as outlined in Article IV, Section 2 and related clauses.

Article V11 Elections

Section 1 - Procedure for Elections A. The official Biannual Meeting shall take place between five (5) weeks and two (2) weeks prior to the start of final examinations. This gathering of the entire society shall include Elections, Amendments, a State of the Society report and presentation of the newest Polybianite Papers. Such date will be determined at least a fortnight in advance. B. All Active Members are eligible to vote in all matters put before the Society at the Biannual meeting. The right of the Members of the Polybian Society to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Government and Politics Association or by any subgroup of said entity on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. C. All Active Members are eligible to run for all available positions in the Penn GPA or Polybian Society, with the exception of seniors, who may not run for Consul. a. In exceptional circumstances, a Supermajority of the Polybian Board may choose to allow an uninitiated member run for office. b. Individuals may not hold two separately named voting offices on the GPA Executive Board and on the Polybian Society Board simultaneously. This clause does not apply to the GPA President and the Consul as they hold a single position. The Legate does not have voting rights on the GPA Executive Board. c. Holding other offices, whether appointed or elected, in the GPA shall be governed by their respective constitutional clauses. D. Declaration of Candidacy for all elected board positions shall be made between two (2) weeks and two (2) days before the set election date. All nominees will formally accept state their candidacy by submitting a written statement to the President of the GPA and the Consul at least 48 hours in advance of elections. E. A five person Election Committee shall be chosen by the Polybian Board. They shall have the duty to maintain decorum, determine attendance and count votes. It is expected this will consist of three senior members, one member of the newest Initiate Class as well as either the President or Vice President of GPA. a. When a member of the Committee cannot be expected to be impartial and has a conflict of interest in the specific election, they shall withhold from counting votes or moderating debate.

F. A quorum for an election will exist if one half of all Active Members are present according to the Vertors Members List. a. Voters in Polybian (and Penn GPA) Elections shall be determined by the list maintained by the Vertor. The Vertor will update this list at least 48 hours prior to elections. G. If a quorum exists, an officer will be elected by a simple majority of Active Members at a specific election. Should no specific nominee achieve enough votes, the two highest candidates will partake in a second election. a. If there is a tie, the outgoing Board shall determine the winner. Members seeking election for a specific post may never vote in said election. H. Elections will be held in the following order: Consul, Praetor, Quaestor, Tribune, Scriptor, Vertor, Philosophe, Deobfuscator, Bacchus, Amanuensis. Any deviation from this order will be made by a Board majority vote at least two weeks before the election. Candidates may run in a subsequent election if they lose an election. I. Each candidate will give a short speech in turn. They will then all answer questions from the audience, with the final inquiry coming from the outgoing Board Member. J. Prior to an election, all forms of mass campaigning are strictly prohibited, both by candidates and on behalf of candidates. This includes, but is not limited to, mass texts, emails, Facebook messages and/or groups, social media, or social events. K. Outgoing Consul, Praetor, Tribune, Quaestor and Scriptor may have observer status in all Board Meetings for three (3) weeks following elections.

Article V111 Monetary Issues

Section 1 - Financial Decisions A. The Quaestor is the position designated to both keep track of Polybian Society Accounts and work with the GPA Treasury Committee to determine macroscopic financial plans. B. The Quaestor shall maintain The Aerarium or set of financial accounts and movements specifically relevant to the Polybian Society. C. The finances of the Polybian Society shall be dealt with together with those of the Government and Politics Association. This shall be directed and controlled by the GPA Finance Committee, in order to best serve the Polybian Society and GPA in varying financial situations. a. The committee will be chaired by the GPA Treasurer, with the Quaestor and GPA President as the other two executive members. b. The Treasury can invite other parties, who must belong on either the Polybian or GPA Executive Boards, to sit on this executive level committee. Such parties will invited for a semester term. Their voting rights will be determined on a case by case basis.

c. To preserve privacy, only voting members of the Treasury Committee shall have access to confidential information. They will endeavour to keep all sensitive information private. d. The Guidelines of the Treasury Committee shall be a formal document outlining the specific goals and ideals of the finances of the Government and Politics Association and Polybian Society. This shall be formally amended by the GPA Executive Board. e. The Treasury Committee will maintain a detailed set of By-Laws, one part of which will be a publicly available Funding Guideline. This information should act as a malleable constitution for their actions. f. The GPA Treasury Committee shall have autonomy over committee procedures, and shall be granted sovereignty in making decisions related to the following. i. The appropriation and distribution of funds to different branches ii. They will determine Membership Dues, and possible cases of waiving said Dues iii. A clear process for reimbursements iv. Maintaining a continuous process of auditing and preventing fraud v. Keeping well defined and legally coherent financial records vi. Coordinating the various monetary accounts of the GPA and Polybian Society. g. The Treasury department can operate, employ and receive guidance from any number of people or corporations in executing these duties. In all circumstances, such parties operate at the pleasure and purview of the three person Treasury Committee. h. Finalized Budgets, changes to the Guidelines of the Treasury Committee and any transaction over $200 will be proposed by the Treasury Committee to the GPA Executive Board for approval. i. Changes in Membership dues, Polybian Society audits and extraordinary expenses will be presented to the Polybian Society Board for approval. Section 2 - Financial Oversight A. The Quaestor, with the aid of the Treasury Committee will present at least one State of the Aerarium Addresses to the Board per semester. Preceding this presentation, the Treasury Committee should undergo a serious audit of all GPA and Polybian Finances. This should occur at least two weeks before election. All Polybian Members shall be invited to attend this presentation. B. Should two of the Consul, Praetor, Tribune or Scriptor decide that an audit of the Aerarium is in order, the Executive Treasury Committee shall have 48 hours to prepare documentation of all assets and cash flows of the Society. Within two days the Quaestor, with the aid of Treasurer and President of GPA will present said copies

of financial documents before the auditors. The auditors will then be charged with checking these documents for discrepancies, and reporting their findings to the board. C. If the President, Treasurer or auditors deem that the Quaestor has committed fraud, gross negligence of Duty or otherwise irresponsible financial action, the matter will be put before the GPA Executive Board for a Supermajority vote. Should this vote pass, the Polybian Board shall designate another member to fill the position in the interim, while the Quaestor will have all access to accounts immediately removed. Section 3 - Financial Aid A. Payments for dues shall vary from full payment, half payment or a minimum contribution of one dollar ($1.00). B. To reduce dues beyond full contribution requires a meeting with the Quaestor and one of either the Consul and Praetor. These two will determine eligibility. a. It is expected that a new meeting will occur each semester, but during the meeting, the two Board Members will determine whether a less formal meeting will be sufficient for the future. C. No in-kind payments will be accepted. D. The privileged information of which members have paid full dues will only be available to the Quaestor, while names will be scrambled for the majority of Financial Records. Should pressing needs arise, this confidential may be released according to Treasury Committee By-Laws or other exceptions in the Polybian Society Constitution.

Article 1X Updating and Maintaining Records

Section 1 - Procedure for Amendments A. Every proposed amendment to this Constitution, By-laws, and Traditions must be presented in writing to the Consul. The Consul must then present said amendment to all members at least one (1) week before being voted on. B. Constitutional amendments require a quorum of at least one half of Active Members. C. Two thirds of Active Members present must vote in the affirmative for an amendment to be ratified. D. The President of Penn GPA shall have a veto power over such Amendment votes as per Article VI - 1 - A.

Section 2 - Records Keeping A. All previous versions of the Constitution shall be stored for perpetuity in a hard copy. Maintaining and updating such records shall be the duty of the Philosophe, such that future members may observe the progression of the society over time. B. Similarly, the Polybianite Papers shall form a body of text detailing the ideology and purpose behind the society. As such, three (3) shall be added to the body each Biannual Meeting, as determined by the Polybian Board. They shall also be stored in hard copy, with an electronic copy also available. a. These papers shall be exactly on side of text, and on a single, specific, topic. b. Their authors shall be referred to by a chosen pseudonym. Section 3 - Conflict Resolution A. In situations where there is a conflict between the constitutions of the Polybian Society and the Government and Politics Association, the GPA Executive Board will move to discuss and resolve all conflicts necessary. They shall propose amendments to modify and clarify language in each constitution, as well as a short term procedure for the future.

Article X Official Traditions of the Polybian Society

Section 1 - Oath of Polybians Hear my words and bear witness to my vow. I (name) hereby solemnly swear that to the best of my ability I will: Contribute to intellectual growth of myself, my fellow members, and the society as a whole. Uphold the values of open discourse, whether libertarian, Marx or Murica. Work to develop and deepen my political views, personal ideologies and understanding of others perspectives. Help to create a strong community based upon the values of intellectual development, friendship, and mutual respect. Promote the methods and vision of the Polybian Society throughout Penns Campus. Protect the principles, people and property of the Polybian Society Further, I swear not to discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, gender, socio-economic status, ideology, or sexual orientation Bona cogitatio sine bono colloquio est vana.

Section 2 - Motto of the Society Bona cogitatio sine bono colloquio est vana. Good ideas without good discussion is in vain. Section 3 - Fight Song of the Society Helan gr Sjung hopp faderallan lallan lej Helan gr Sjung hopp faderallan lej Och den som inte helan tar Han heller inte halvan fr Helan gr (Drink) Sjung hopp faderallan lej!

Ratification:
We the undersigned have Read, Amended, and Ratified this Constitution of the Polybian Society on December Fourteenth, Year of our Lord Twenty Thirteen. It shall go into full effect on January Fifteenth, Year of our Lord Twenty Fourteen.