Constitution of the Stonewall Coalition of Grinnell College

Article I - Mission

     The mission of the Stonewall Coalition is to support, serve, and provide for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, and allied (GLBTQA) communities on the Grinnell campus and in the community at large.

Article II - Objectives

     StoneCo exists to help gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and allied students create a homosexual-friendly community which can act as a support network for those who have been marginalized because of their sexuality. StoneCo also strives to inspire tolerance in our larger communities.

Article III - StoneCo Advisor

     The Director of the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) also serves as Advisor to the Stonewall Coalition. The Advisor will serve the following needs of StoneCo: The Advisor should maintain a visible relationship with StoneCo and its subdivisions. He/She should be available and accessible to the organization on a request basis.

Article IV - The Relationship of Stonewall Coalition to SRC Advisory Board

      StoneCo is the primary affiliate of the Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) and maintains access to its facilities and resources. StoneCo and the SRC maintain independent finances, however the SRC may be approached for funding for special StoneCo events. The president of StoneCo also serves on the SRC Advisory Board.

Article V - Organization of the Stonewall Coalition

     The Stonewall Coalition is comprised of the Executive Board (see Article VI), sub-committees (see Addendum) and members at-large. The committees of StoneCo are autonomous, though their chairpersons exchange information and support as member of the Executive Board. No formal obligations or requirements exist for StoneCo members.

Article VI - Structure of StoneCo Executive Board

     The StoneCo Executive Board is comprised of the StoneCo President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chairpersons of its committees (see Addendum for committee descriptions). The Executive Board meets regularly as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information and is the primary decision-making body of the Stonewall Coalition. It utilizes a consensus model of decision making, within which all members maintain equal voice, and which is facilitated by the President. Further responsibilities include the planning of StoneCo meeting agendas and organization and publication of events. The Executive Board meetings are open to the public and if any member would like to bring an issue to the attention of the Board, whe/he must notify the President and be added to the agenda.

Article VII Committee Components

     The components of education, outreach, and social activities shape the directions of StoneCo committees. These five elements serve as guidelines to committee creation, but do not exclusively define each committee -- that is, these five components do not necessarily necessitate or limit StoneCo to five committees. It is the responsibility of the current StoneCo membership to determine how their needs will best be realized through committee activities. Therefore, committee descriptions are to be reevaluated regularly within the Addendum to ensure that the changing needs of StoneCo are effectively met. If a student wishes to create a new committe they can present their plan to the Executive Board, who will decide whether tthe new committee will further the objectives of StoneCo. The same shall happen if a committee is to be abandoned.

Article IX - Election Process

      Elections for Executive Board members are to be held in the end of the spring semester. Positions are yearlong commitments unless extenuating circumstances exist, such as study abroad participation, members on leave, etc. The outgoing Executive Board members are encouraged to mentor incoming members. Candidates may run for multiple positions, but may only fill one, excluding extenuating circumstances (i.e. some positions are not filled by elections). Elections must be effectively publicized so as to ensure thorough attendance at the elections meeting. A majority vote, by anonymous ballot is required of the StoneCo members attending the election meeting to elect new officers.

Article X - Finances

     All financial matters will be decided by the Executive Board with the council of the Treasurer. If a student wishes to recieve funding from StoneCo for activities not associated with StoneCo, they shall present their plan to the Executive Board, who will decide whether or not the plan furthers the objectives of StoneCo. If the amount of money is over $50, the plan shall be voted on at the next StoneCo meeting. For mor information on petitioning StoneCo for funds, see Treasurer's notes in StoneCo file.

Article XI - Constitutional Amendment Process

      Changes to the Constitution must be approved by the Executive Board and subsequently approved by the StoneCo membership (members at meetings).

Addendum

      StoneCo has determined the following committees as of spring 1998: these may be changed as the needs of StoneCo grow and shift. These committies serve as representitives of the StoneCo members and therefore should base their decisions on the input and opinions of the members.
  1. Pride Week
    Grinnell College's Pride Week is an annual event on the Grinnell campus which celebrates the contributions gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) individuals have made to culture, history, and politics in America and the world. Pride Week highlights the racial, sexual, and political diversity within the GLBT community. This week traditionally has been a time for the GLBT community to inform the campus community, celebrate the work and experiences of GLBT people, and to raise compelling issues of sexuality which are significant to the Grinnell campus as a whole.
    The Pride Week Committee is responsible for bringing diverse speakers and entertainers to campus during Pride Week; locating funding, and organizing informal discussions, panel discussions, chapel services, and parties for the Pride Week celebration.
  2. Activism and Education Committee
    The purpose of the StoneCo Activism/Education Committee is to heighten awareness and catalyze support of GLBT political and human lights, The committee shall serve as a gadfly to the Grinnell community, consistently educating and challenging our campus on issues of homophobia and heterosexism. Further, the committee shall filter information about local and national political events to StoneCo and the campus at large- and take appropriate action.
  3. Publicity Committee
    The publicity committee's mission is to alert the campus community to GLBTQA activities and events and to Stoneco's existence, purposes and goals. They are involved in creating flyers and posters, a voluntary newsletter and distribute thereof.
  4. Networker
    The Networker will serve as a liaison to other groups on campus. S/He will establish connections with other groups whose foci are pertinent to StoneCo. This includes bringing information back to StoneCo about opportunities for involvement in meeting the needs of our overlapping communities.
  5. Stonewall Speakers Bureau
    The outgoing mission Of Speakers is to educate business and educational communities, and the rest of the community at large about issues of homophobia and heterosexism that are prevalent in our society, and the negative impact these issues have on our whole community. This is done through a grass roots approach using direct communication, personal contact with people, and presentation of educational material.

This page written and maintained by Andrew Vick. Last modified October 1999. Email StoneCo.

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