Mission Statement

Animal Activists of Alachua is a not-for-profit student/community organization devoted to increasing public awareness of the unnecessary suffering experienced by non-human animals at the hands of humans, and what we can do to make it stop. AAA supports education regarding all the implications of our dietary choices: health, environmental, economic and humane.

AAA is not anti-human, anti-farming, or anti-research. While we believe in disease prevention, environmental ethics, sustainable agriculture, and better science, we take a firm stance against the use of non-human animals as a means for human gain. Animal Activists of Alachua seeks to achieve these goals of political and social change through education and demonstration, and by bringing the resources available in the community directly to the student body.

Constitution

AAA is a registered student organization at the University of Florida. Each registered student organization is required to have a constitution. Ours is displayed below:

Name: The name of this organization is "Animal Activists of Alachua." Animal Activists of Alachua (AAA) is a student/community organization.
Mission Statement:
Animal Activists of Alachua is a not-for-profit student/community organization devoted to increasing public awareness of the unnecessary suffering experienced by nonhuman animals at the hands of humans, and what we can do to make it stop. AAA supports education regarding all the implications of our dietary choices: health, environmental, economic and humane.

AAA is not anti-human, anti-farming, or anti-research. While we believe in disease prevention, environmental ethics, sustainable agriculture, and better science, we take a firm stance against the use of nonhuman animals as a means for human gain. Animal Activists of Alachua seeks to achieve these goals of political and social change through education and demonstration, and by bringing the resources available in the community directly to the student body.
Membership:
1. Full Membership. Full Membership is open to students registered at the University of Florida, who meet these minimum requirements each semester:
  - Volunteer work at one event, and attendance at two meetings; or
  - Volunteer work at one event, and fulfillment of 10 office hours to be determined by officers; or
  - Volunteer work at more than one event.
  The benefits of Full Membership are the right to vote in elections and the right to hold office.
2. Associate Membership. Faculty, staff, student spouses, and members of the community may become Associate Members, but may not vote or hold office. Associate members must fulfill the minimum requirements above.
3. Members are free to leave at any time and disassociate without fear of retribution or harassment. AAA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, skin color, sex, sexual orientation, creed, age or disability, and does not participate in or condone hazing rituals.
Authority: AAA and all members acting on behalf of or in the name of the organization shall adhere to the regulations prescribed by the University of Florida Student Guide, and all other laws and rules governing the University of Florida and its students.
Finance: Members shall be assessed no fees. Instead, AAA may occasionally ask for entirely optional and voluntary contributions from its members in the form of funds, equipment, or work hours.
Meetings:
1. Meetings are to serve as a safe haven for like-minded individuals to exchange ideas without fear of embarrassment or injury. They will also be used to discuss and plan future events.
2. AAA typically holds official meetings bimonthly. Any changes will be decided by the officers.
Officers:
1. The officers shall be President, Vice President, Treasurer, Promotions Officer, Web Designer, and Personnel Officer.
2. Officers shall serve for a period of one school year; i.e.: 1 Fall Term, 1 Spring Term, and 1 Summer Term. Terms of service begin in Summer Term and end with Spring Term. Officers may be reelected to additional terms. The Faculty Advisor need not be elected every year; there is no limit to the term.
3. A Faculty Advisor shall be appointed only when the position is vacant, or in the case that it is decided (by the impeachment processes described in Article VII, Section 11) that the Faculty Advisor is not fulfilling his or her duties. Any member can nominate a professor for the position of Faculty Advisor. The officers will vote to decide which candidate shall fill the role of Faculty Advisor.
4. The Faculty Advisor shall support the club members in fulfilling the purpose of the club, be a resource, and represent the club to the community and the University of Florida as needed. The Faculty Advisor must attend at least one meeting per semester.
5. The President will preside over meetings and act as the official representative of the club. The duties of the President include deciding which events and issues to pursue, organizing events, making contacts in the community, and delegating authority to other members of the group.
6. The duties of the Vice President are to assist the President and the other Officers in fulfilling their duties, and to fill the role of President when the President is unable to do so. The Vice President is also responsible for scheduling monthly office hours and handling associated paperwork.
7. The Treasurer shall be responsible for handling funds, whether collected or distributed for formal or informal events, as well as maintaining accurate records of all financial transactions. The Treasurer also assists the President with coordinating fundraisers, investigating grant opportunities as a source of funding, and applying for them. The Treasurer shall also provide monthly statements to officers.
8. The Promotions Officer shall be primarily responsible for making contacts in the community, advertising meetings and events, and getting press coverage for events. In addition, the Promotions Officer shall be responsible for literature, flyers, and the like.
9. The Web Designer shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the website. Updates are to be made at least once per week. It is this officer's duty to deal with any problems that might arise with the website. Other computer-type duties may also be assigned to the Web Designer.
10. The Personnel Officer shall be responsible for promoting the organization itself, attracting new members, and developing existing members into future leaders and Officers. Essentially, the Personnel Officer keeps the organization alive by replenishing the supply of departing members with new generations of activists. This Officer is responsible for keeping track of attendance at meetings and events, coordinating tabling activities, and training members on tabling techniques.
11. The impeachment of an officer can only occur when 2/3 of all the Full Members of the club vote in approval, or if all of the officers, except for the officer in question, vote in approval.
12. In the case that an officer steps down, is impeached, or becomes unable or ineligible to hold office, the officers may appoint a replacement. In the case that the office in question is the Presidency, the Vice President shall assume the role of President. Officerships may then be shuffled to accommodate the vacancy, and a new Officer may be appointed to the available position, if necessary.
13. On matters that require only the officers to vote, ties will be decided by the President's vote.
Elections:
1. The election of new officers shall take place every school year, on the last meeting of the Spring Term. The Presidential election is to occur first, to allow unsuccessful Presidential candidates the opportunity to run for other offices.
2. A nominee must win the election by a majority vote. Voting shall be by secret ballot. In the case of a tie, each candidate shall be allowed to plead his or her case, and a revote shall follow. In the case of another tie, and in keeping with the Animal Activists of Alachua tradition, the election shall be decided by "Rock, Paper, Scissors."
3. Any eligible Full Member can be nominated for any office.
4. Candidates must present a statement of intent, not to exceed 5 minutes, to occur on the day of elections.
Committees: Committees may be formed at any time, according to the needs of the organization, but are subject to the approval of the officers. Each committee will be run by volunteers, who shall independently nominate and elect a chairperson. It is the responsibility of the chairperson to report the progress of the committee to the rest of the organization.
Amendments: Amendments to this Constitution may be suggested by any member, but must be proposed to the President in writing. The proposal will be read at the following meeting, during which arguments for or against the proposal may be presented. A vote shall take place on a date appointed by the President not exceeding two months from the date of presentation. The vote shall be by secret ballot, and requires the approval of 2/3 of all Full Members in order to pass.