By: Kerrie Wu
This year, both all MSJ clubs will have to follow new bylaws, in addition to the rules from previous years. ASB established the bylaws in order to regulate ASB clubs on campus and discourage the formation of frivolous clubs.
ASB made the new bylaws in response to a growing problem: too many ASB club bank accounts. Currently, MSJ has 72 ASB clubs, not including organizations, each with their own bank account that they received upon becoming an ASB club. Storing funds in an ASB account is a much safer method than storing funds in cash, and more convenient that other alternatives.
ASB Vice President Nihar Parikh says, “The school has been having an issue with the number of bank accounts available to clubs for the past few years, and that issue is still present. We now have only 10 to 15 spots remaining. Therefore, I decided to revise the bylaws to so we can disband frivolous or inactive clubs and free up more bank accounts.”
The first new bylaw states that clubs must hold meetings regularly, based upon the times stated in the club’s constitution. In addition, each club must send a tentative plan of activities for the semester to the L2 student who contacts them at the beginning of each semester. The plan must include planned methods of publicizing the activities, which the L2 student will monitor to ensure the club adheres to its plan. At the end of each semester, the L2 student will update the ASB Vice President on its activities.
The second new bylaw ensures that clubs publicize their events and meetings on campus during school hours (a privilege given only to ASB-approved clubs). The bylaw states that each club must make at least five school-wide announcements for read meets and ASB’s social networking announcements per semester. No more than three announcements can be made in the last month of the semester unless the club has already met the requirement beforehand.
The new bylaws also emphasize that at council, one student cannot represent multiple clubs.
Clubs that do not follow the bylaws will receive strikes based upon the infringement. Once a club accumulates nine strikes, it will be fined $150 or dissolved after a vote at council. If a club reaches 11 strikes, it will be dissolved immediately.
Though the new bylaws raise the standard for many clubs, some clubs are not affected as much. For example, MSJ DECA Vice President Amy Huang says, “We already do a lot of the requirements, so it won’t change much for our club.”
Parikh says, “I want to hold clubs to a higher standard so they would offer MSJ students as many opportunities as possible and enrich the culture of MSJ.” Parikh hopes the new bylaws will spur “more club events on and off campus, more regular and vibrant meetings, and more participation by the student body.”
The club bylaws are available online at http://www.msjasb.org/clubs-orgs/.
