GARNET KEY SOCIETY

CONSTITUTION
Updated, July 2020
62nd Cohort
 Constitution
Of The
Garnet Key Society of Concordia University

Last approved by the Society and the Office of the President November 2019

ARTICLE I — NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Garnet Key Society of Concordia University,
hereinafter referred to as the “Society”.

ARTICLE II — NATURE
The Society is an honorary organization and operates under the guidance of the Office of
the President (OTP).

ARTICLE III — PURPOSE

The purpose of the Society shall be to act as official ambassadors for the University and
its legally constituted entities: to promote leadership in University life and to provide
assistance in maintaining the good name and honour of the University and its legally
constituted entities.

ARTICLE IV — OBJECTIVE
The objective of the Society is to act as a liaison between members of the community,
the University, and the students. The Society welcomes, assists and socializes with
distinguished guests at official University dinners, convocations, award ceremonies and
gala events. Members are outstanding individuals who are committed to the objectives
of the Society, who are sincere in their desire to make a contribution to the University
community, and who want to enrich University events with their diversity and
background.

ARTICLE V — MEMBERSHIP
The Society shall include three types of membership: Current Key, Alumni Membership
and Honorary Membership as recognized through Emeritus Award status.

A. CURRENT KEY MEMBERSHIP

i. The current Key members shall consist of twelve individuals selected by the
previous year’s Keys.
ii. Upon acceptance into the Society, the current Keys are active for one fiscal year
beginning on May 1st and ending on May 15th of the following year.

B. ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP
i. Upon completion of their mandate, current Keys acquire lifetime Alumni
membership status.
ii. At the end of their mandate, the outgoing Keys assume the role of Advisors for a
one-year term. (Refer to Article VII, Section C for the role of the Advisor.)
iii. Alumni members may be invited to the recruitment interviews.

C. HONORARY (EMERITUS) MEMBERSHIP

i. Emeritus membership may be bestowed upon one individual whose efforts over
the past year were instrumental not only in the functioning of the Society, but
also in its success.
ii. Honorary members shall not be appointed to a current Key, Alumni, or from the
student body. Membership may only be bestowed upon individuals elected by a
three-quarters majority vote of the current Society.
ARTICLE VI — ELIGIBILITY OF CURRENT KEY MEMBERSHIP
i. Candidates must have maintained a minimum 3.6 cumulative GPA on a 4.3
scale.
ii. Candidates must have completed or be in the process of completing at least 24
credits or two terms of full-time studies at the University at the time of
application.
iii. Candidates should demonstrate academic excellence, community involvement,
leadership, and the ability to commit themselves to the Society for the duration
of their mandate.
iv. Candidates must be full-time students at the time of their selection into the
Society and remain full-time students for the duration of their mandate.
v. There may be extenuating circumstances during a candidate’s term that require
them to be part-time students. Such cases will be assessed at the discretion of
the current Executive.
vi. Candidates who are planning to travel abroad for longer than six consecutive
weeks from September to May of the following year of their mandates will not be
considered.
vii. Candidates who cannot attend any of the following events; recruitment cocktail,
Banquet, Transition Day and the Elections will not be considered.

ARTICLE VII — OBLIGATIONS AND PREROGATIVES OF MEMBERS

A. CURRENT MEMBERS
Acceptance into the Society is one of the highest honours to be bestowed upon an
undergraduate student. It is thus the responsibility of the Society’s current members to
adhere to and uphold the Society’s constitution, by-laws and traditions through diligent
work, assiduous effort, and great dedication.

B. ALUMNI AND EMERITUS MEMBERS

Alumni members assume a passive role in the Society, attending annual Garnet Key
banquets and other Alumni-specific events. A passive role entails forgoing all voting
privileges and obligations associated with active duty, thus ensuring a quick and efficient
transition for the new Key members. Alumni members may be invited to recruitment
interviews.

C. PAST KEY ADVISORS

i. Upon completion of their mandate, each Key becomes an advisor to the
subsequent Society.
ii. The role of the Advisor shall be to ensure a steady and synergistic flow of
information, duties and obligations during the transition between the immediate
past Society members and those newly selected.
iii. Past Executives, Non-Executives, and Committee Chairs shall be directly
responsible for mentoring their replacements.
iv. The Advisor position holds no voting privileges and acts as a neutral facilitator.

ARTICLE VIII — SELECTION PROCESS

i. All Concordia students that meet the Society’s GPA and credit requirements (see
Article VI sections i and ii) will be contacted via email or written letter inviting
them to apply for membership.
ii. Interested applicants will then be required to submit a formal application to the
Society, including a Letter of Intent and a Curriculum Vitae.
 iii. Among the applicants, approximately sixty candidates will be selected for
interviews. Someone from the Office of the President, Dean of Students Office or
Garnet Key Alumni will be present at each interview group.
iv. Twenty-four of the interviewed candidates who are of outstanding character and
merit will be invited to a formal cocktail.
v. The decision-making process to award membership to the society will take place
among the current Key members immediately following the cocktail.
vi. Following initial discussion and review, each Key shall submit a ranked list of 12
selected candidates to the Recruitment Chairpersons. A tentative list of finalists
shall be constructed from the average ranking scores of each candidate.
vii. The Recruitment Committee will decide how the final list is confirmed.

ARTICLE IX—EXECUTIVES OF THE SOCIETY

The executives of the Society shall consist of:
The President
The Vice-President
The Secretary
The Treasurer

ARTICLE X—AMENDMENTS
i. The constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority and one half of the
executive vote of the current Key, at any meeting of the Society.
ii. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the President at least 72
hours before the meeting. The Secretary shall include such proposed
amendments in the agenda of the meeting.
iii. Amendments shall be incorporated in the Constitution upon approval from the
Office of President.
 By-Laws
Of The
Garnet Key Society of Concordia University

ARTICLE I — FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Society shall commence on the first day of May and shall carry
through until the fifteenth day of May in the subsequent year.

ARTICLE II — STRUCTURE
i. The Society shall consist of twelve members. There may be up to twenty-four
members in the Society during the transition period between May 1st and May
15th.
ii. All other members are defined in Constitution Article V.

ARTICLE III - ELECTIONS

i. Members of the incoming Society will elect among themselves one member to fill
each position (described in By-Laws Article IV) with the understanding that
members will be able to perform their respective duties in these roles until May
fifteenth of the following year.
ii. Individuals must announce their candidacy by email to all members of the
previous and current cohorts 72 hours before the election, for any position. They
shall submit their candidacy for two positions and one committee.
iii. During the election process, all members may vote for only one candidate per
position.
iv. At least one advising member of the previous year shall be present at the
elections and will count the votes. The Recruitment Chairpersons of the outgoing
cohort shall act as the Chief Electoral Officers of the Elections.
v. Each new member should be prepared to make a short (approx. 2 minutes)
candidacy speech for both potential positions and committee before the
elections.

ARTICLE IV—EXECUTIVE POSITIONS AND DUTIES

A. PRESIDENT
i. To preside at all general and Executive meetings.
ii. To exercise general supervision over the affairs and the activities of the Society.
iii. To advise, when consulted by the Vice-President in deciding whether to accept or
reject requests for the services of the Society.
iv. To delegate the authority of the other Executives of the Society.
v. To meet on a monthly basis with the Society’s representative at the OTP to provide
them with general updates as well as consult with them to help resolve any issues.

B. VICE-PRESIDENT
i. To assist the President in administrative duties.
ii. To assume the duties of the President in their absence.
iii. To decide whether to accept or reject any request for the services of the Society.
iv. To delegate the assignments and to maintain detailed records of the
assignments, in accordance with Article II of the by-laws.
v. To enforce mandatory assignment attendance with the President for all members
of the Society and to issue a strike for each unexcused absence.
 C. TREASURER
i. To act as custodian of all records, ledgers or documents belonging to, or dealing
with the financial affairs of the Society.
ii. To manage and balance the account of the Society.
iii. To prepare a budget summary detailing the Society’s expenditures of the fiscal
year.
iv. To oversee the Sponsorship Committee (Article VI, Section F), which includes all
external funding needed for Garnet Key events or other Society necessities.

D. SECRETARY
To act as custodian of all records, ledgers or documents belonging to, or dealing
with the financial affairs of the Society.
i. To schedule monthly official meetings of the Society.
ii. To record the minutes of the meetings in a log.
iii. To notify all active members of meetings and other Society functions.
iv. To carry out all correspondences and to keep a duplicate file of said
correspondences.
v. To maintain and organize the Society’s documents in a Google Drive folder.
vi. To pick up the mail from the Hall Building once a month.
vii. To assist the Alumni Liaison Officer.
viii. To act as the official Booking Officer for the Society.

ARTICLE V — NON-EXECUTIVE POSITIONS AND DUTIES

A. ALUMNI LIAISON OFFICER
i. To help with Alumni events; both within the planning stages of the event and at
the event itself (if required).
ii. To review the archives and present information they deem valuable for the better
functioning of the current society.
iii. To attain and share stories representing the history of the Society as well as related
world events through the means of the Garnet Key Historical Portal.
iv. To create the current Society's Yearbook at the end of the term.

B. MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

i. To update the website and social media of the Society.
ii. To promote the community project(s) and other events of the Society that could
benefit the student life and the community in general.
iii. To write and send a monthly newsletter that covers what was accomplished the
month prior and what to look out for in the coming month.

C. RECRUITMENT CHAIRPERSON (x2)

i. To oversee the good functioning of the recruitment committee as described in
By-Laws Article VI-E.
ii. To organize the recruitment process including applications, interviews, the
recruitment cocktail, Transition Day and the Elections as described by
Constitution Article VIII - Selection Process.
 D. COMMUNITY PROJECT CHAIRPERSON (x2)
i. To oversee the good functioning of the community project committee as
described in By-Laws Article VI-D, and to act as a leader in the organization of
said project(s).

E. BANQUET CHAIRPERSON (x2)

i. To oversee the good functioning of the banquet committee as described in By-
Laws Article VI-C and to act as a leader in the organization of the event.

ARTICLE VI — COMMITTEES

A. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
i. Each committee shall consist of four members.
ii. Each committee will be overseen by the Committee Chairpersons.

B. COMMITTEE FORMATION
i. Members of the Society shall be instituted into one of the three following
committees: Banquet, Recruitment and Community Project.
ii. The committees will be formed during the election day that takes place before
the banquet. All members of the society must join a committee whether they are
executives or non-executive members. Members of the society may express their
desire to join a committee during the elections. If more than four members want
to join the same committee, the committee will have to go under the election
procedure as described in By-Laws Article III.

C. BANQUET COMMITTEE
The primary goal of the Banquet Committee is to organize and execute the annual
banquet. It is their role to organize the location, menu, program, and planning for the
event. Additionally, they must communicate with the Garnet Key Alumni Liaison Officer,
as well as the Treasurer to host the dinner.

D. COMMUNITY PROJECT COMMITTEE

The primary goal of the Community Project Committee is to organize the main
Community Project of the Society. While the committee is responsible for the
organization of the Community Project, the entire Society must both agree upon, and
engage in the Project. Should the committee so choose, it is also within their purview to
organize monthly projects, that may take the form of community volunteerism or aiding
other Concordia organizations.

E. RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE
The Recruitment Committee is responsible for organizing the selection process (see
Constitution Article VIII) of the following Garnet Key Society Members. It is their role to
delegate assignments in evaluating the candidates. The committee should receive and
review all the new candidatures, organize the interview process and the recruitment
cocktail. The committee may ask for the other members of society to review candidates
and partake in the interview process.

F. SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE
The Sponsorship Committee is responsible for seeking and securing external funding
(i.e. sponsorships) and/or internal funding from Concordia (i.e. special project funding).
 The Sponsorship Committee will be overseen by the Treasurer and be composed of at
least one Recruitment Chairperson, Banquet Chairperson and Community Project
Chairperson.

ARTICLE VII — STANDING POLICIES

Any policy pertaining to any area of the Society’s activities and duly approved by a two-
thirds majority of the current Key as well as by half of the current Executive shall be
deemed a Standing Policy of the Society.

ARTICLE VIII — GENERAL MEETINGS

The Society shall meet at least once a month throughout their mandate. The President,
if required, may call special meetings with 48 hours notice.

A. UPDATE REPORTS
Members will offer a brief oral report of achievements and updates at each monthly
meeting.

ARTICLE IX — QUORUM
A quorum shall consist of a majority (at least seven) of the Society's members, with a
minimum of two Executives present.

ARTICLE X — ORDER OF BUSINESS

The following shall be the order of business at all general meetings of the Society, to be
amended as seen fit at each meeting through due motion and approval.
Roll Call
Approval of the minutes
Reports from Executives and Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Announcements
Adjournment

ARTICLE XI — PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The parliamentary authority of the Society shall be Robert’s Rules of Order.

ARTICLE XII — HOURS AND ETIQUETTE

A. HOURS
i. The hours required of each Member consist of participating at official University
events and community events organized by the Community Project Committee.
ii. The Vice-President shall be responsible for coordinating and requesting members to
perform assignments. They shall also be responsible for recording assignment
attendance, as well as attendance for general and executive meetings.
iii. It is the responsibility of each member to maintain an average number of hours per
year as compared to the group. A list of active members of the Society and the
number of hours completed by each member shall be distributed monthly.
iv. Inability to fulfill an assignment must be forwarded in writing to the Vice-President
and President 72 hours before the date of the assignment.
v. Each Key is responsible for attending a minimum of 30 hours of assignments during
the year. This excludes the hours devoted to the recruitment cocktail, alumni
banquet, and any of the meetings within the Society or with Concordia faculty and
 staff. Each Key is expected to complete a minimum of approximately 10 hours per
semester. 15 of the 30 total hours must be devoted to Official Concordia events.
vi. If a member is unable to complete the minimum required hours during a semester,
due to sickness or schedule conflict, they are expected to attend more events at
other times to fulfill this requirement. The candidates must be informed about this
requirement at or before the recruitment interview.
B. ETIQUETTE
Proper etiquette must be followed during all assignments and shall be defined as the
following:
vii. Dress in appropriate uniform (See Article XIV).
viii. Behave in a presentable manner when in uniform and complete all duties to the
highest degree of one’s ability.
ix. Reflect a positive image of the Society, including arriving on time and
maintaining a positive attitude. Remain neutral or positive when discussing
Concordia University.
x. If a task assigned is problematic due to role and or expectations, do not argue,
instead offer suggestions that may lead to a more productive outcome.
xi. Respect that individual behavior reflects on the Society and University as a
whole.

ARTICLE XIII — PENALTY SYSTEM AND EXPULSION

The Society shall abide by a penalty system that is intended to instill individual
responsibility and to maintain group cohesion.

A. DEMERIT POINTS
One demerit point shall be assigned by the Executives to any member who commits the
following infractions:
i. Maintains substantially lower assignment hours than the group average. To be
decided at every general meeting.
ii. Taking more than a week to communicate availability to any assignment.
iii. Arrival 15 or more minutes late to an assignment that has been committed to.
iv. An additional point for failure to present oneself at the event at all.
v. Taking more than 48 hours to respond to a request for information or meeting
schedule or failing to provide a valid reason for delay.
vi. Failing to follow the rules of etiquette as stated in Article XII, Section B-
Etiquette.

B. MONTHLY POINT TALLY

A running count of all demerit points shall be updated at every general meeting. Should
an individual accumulate six strikes or more, the Executives reserve the right to
communicate the issue to the OTP.

C. EXPULSION
Expulsion from the Society is the final resort for failure to comply with the Society’s
rules. Expulsion may only be considered after a member has acquired six demerit points
or more, and after having presented the problem to the OTP. The Executives may then
decide to call a special meeting with the Society to review the case where the grounds
for expulsion must be presented. An expulsion requires a 2/3 majority vote from the
Society, of which there must be a minimum of two Executives in order to pass.

ARTICLE XIV — UNIFORMS

 It is the responsibility of the members to take care of their uniforms. If the uniform is in
any way visibly damaged or stained, it is the individual’s own financial responsibility to
have their uniform cleaned, repaired, or replaced.
The uniform of the Society shall consist of:
i. The official Garnet Key blazer
ii. Name tag
iii. Concordia University pin
iv. Black or grey trousers or skirt with a white formal shirt OR formal black dress
v. Black formal shoes
vi. Dark socks or black/nude nylons
vii. Official Concordia tie or gold scarf (Optional)

ARTICLE XV — EVENTS
The duties of the Keys shall be as follows:
A. PRIOR TO THE EVENT
i. Researching the event, location, and guests in attendance in order to properly
greet and answer questions during the event.
ii. Familiarizing themselves to the event information located on the calendar (Keys
assigned, location, event name, role).
iii. Knowing the other members assigned to the event as event organizers may
want/need to know who else is attending.
iv. Possessing the Society’s contact list (including phone numbers) in case of
emergency.
v. Possessing a pen and business cards.
vi. Familiarizing themselves to the University’s facts (E.g. the number of students
attending the University, information of each building).

B. AT THE EVENT
i. Familiarizing themselves with the location of the bathroom and coat checks.
ii. Confirming event expectations from the host. (i.e. directing guests, maintaining
flow of traffic, welcoming guests, providing name tags, and/or interacting with
guests.)
iii. Reflecting a positive image of the Society, including arriving on time and
maintaining a positive attitude. Remaining neutral or positive when discussing
Concordia University.
iv. Keys are not responsible for performing any manual labour.
v. Any negative situation that arises from an event must be reported to both the
organizer of the event, as well as the Executives of the Society. The Executives
will then decide the course of action that is most appropriate.

C. CANCELLATIONS
i. Provide 48 hours (minimum) cancellation notice if unable to attend an event.
ii. Arrange for a replacement with the Vice-President.