Constitution

of the

Wisdom Factory Literary Society

Texas State University
2017
 Preamble
It is proposed to bring into existence and establish a society on campus whereby
members shall be engaged in various forms of mutual improvement through the
discussion of great literary works. This task being undertaken because it has
been found necessary to supply those who seek wisdom and virtue with a
community of individuals who share that same passion for useful learning.
Together with the aim of improving society, we can unite knowledge and action
for the benefit of all mankind.

Article I
Name of the Organization
This organization shall be identified as the Wisdom Factory Literary Society or
abbreviated as WFLS.

Article II
Purpose of the Wisdom Factory Literary Society
It is the purpose of every meeting to excite the minds of our members, inflame
their passions, awaken their senses, heighten their spirits, and test their
courage.
The content of our programs will be spread among reading, writing, study,
oratory, debate and discourse. Our members will become effective in forming
opinions on a range of subjects and will be encouraged to present their ideas to
others for comment. The Society will not be limited in scope and will concern
itself with any text—from antiquity to contemporary times—that correlates with
the central goals of the organization. We will use articles, journals, essays,
speeches, poems, quotes, books, blogs, as well as original works from our
members and guests.

Article III
Affiliations
This organization is to remain independent of any external entities; be it national,
regional, and/or local, including Texas State University. All inquiries to and from
WFLS concerning an alignment must be decided upon by the Executive
Committee.
 Article IV
Becoming a Member
Section 1. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate in our
meetings.
Section 2. If an individual has participated in two consecutive meetings, then
that person becomes eligible for membership.
Section 3. An individual will become a member of WFLS after they have been
confirmed by the voting members in a simple majority at the end of
their second meeting.
Section 4. Membership is open to all students, faculty, and staff, of Texas State
University. No individual shall be denied membership because of
their gender, sexual orientation, political views, religion, race, or
culture.
Section 5. Code of Conduct: All opinions and beliefs must be respected. Any
maliciousness or hostility directed at any member will not be
tolerated and will result in the aggressor(s) being banished from the
society.

Article V
Voting Membership and Office Eligibility
Section 1. If a member has participated in three meetings than that member
automatically becomes a voting member.
Section 2. If a member has participated in four meetings than that member is
automatically eligible to hold office.
Section 2. Only Texas State students, faculty and staff qualify as voting
members, three-fourths of the voting membership must be students.

Article VI
The Duties and Privileges of Membership
Section 1. Duties.
Members must be professional at all times.
Members must actively participate in meetings by listening,
reflecting, and contributing to discussions.
Members are encouraged to write, speak, and debate on issues they
are passionate about.
 Members must help newcomers with any questions they might have.
Section 2. Privileges.
Each member can offer changes to the program by voting or
proposing a motion.
Each member can speak with officers about issues which they feel
important enough to discuss.
Each member has a say and a vote in all matters concerning the
society.
Each member has the option to participate in special functions.
Each member has the privilege to call upon the society to take action
upon critical issues so long as those actions are in accordance with
natural law.
Each member may propose changes to the Constitution.

Article VII
Officers of the Society
Section 1. The President of WFLS is to embody the essential spirit of the
society; in that he/she must commit to providing a program with
content that will promote the central goals established in this
constitution.
They are to preside over all general meetings.
They must be made aware of any action taken within the society.
They are the Spokesperson for the Society.
They have the authority to delegate tasks as they see fit.
They must promote WFLS on campus and in the community.
They are at liberty to admit or deny any special guests and must be
contacted by them before they are to appear at any functions of the
society.
They are responsible for making request to the Student Organization
Council.
They are responsible for making sure that WFLS is in compliance
with all laws, rules, and regulations established by higher
authorities.
They are to preserve the integrity of WFLS and insure its longevity.
Section 2. The Vice President fills an advisory role to the president. Advises
him/her on the direction of the society and in the creation of the
programs and content.
They are to serve as a check to make sure the society is being run
according to foundational principles.
They are to make themselves available to all members who have
ideas on how to improve the society.
Only the vice president can serve as acting president in cases of
extraordinary circumstances—where a presidential vote has not
been held and the former president can no longer fulfill their duties.
They are to resolve any complaints and issues that members may
have.
They are to monitor the developments of the society and sound the
alarm when organization actions seem to be at variance with the
constitution.
Section 3. The Secretary is obliged in the implementation of the programs as
approved by the president.
They are to keep minutes and other records of the meetings such as
attendance, what was said, who said it, and any significant
observation or idea discovered in the meetings. These should be
recorded by the secretary and archived appropriately.
They may enlist members to help them with any of their duties (these
helpers should receive recognition for their service).
Also administers and manages the financial assets and liabilities of
the society. In these cases, they are to serve as Treasurer of WFLS.

Article VIII
The Selection and Removal of Officers
Section 1. Electing the President: The office of the president is to be voted upon
at the end of every Fall and Spring semester.
The candidate who receives more votes than any other wins the
office.
All members and officers receive one vote.
The candidate must be eligible for office.
Section 2. Removing the President: The president can be removed only by the
student organization council. The SOC is to be given a resolution by
 the Vice-President justifying this action and the document must
show that 2/3rds of the voting members support this resolution.
Section 3. Electing the Vice President: The newly elected president will
nominate three candidates from the body of voting members to
become candidates for the office of VP.
A vote will take place and the candidate who received more than any
other will win the office.
The candidate must be eligible for office
Section 4. The Vice President cannot be removed from office until his/her term
expires.
Section 5. The Secretary is to be appointed by the President.
Section 6. Removing the Secretary can be done only in cases where they have
been found to be negligent in their duties. At that point they can be
replaced at will by the President.
Section 7. All officers must be current, regularly enrolled students in good
standing at Texas State; President, VP and Secretary must have a
2.25 Texas State GPA

Article IX
Meetings
Meetings will be held every other week on a date designated by the President
with the schedules of the members in mind so as to allow for the greatest
possible convenience for all.

Article X
Membership Dues and Organizational Finance
Section 1. There are no dues to be collected among members. All meetings are
free to attend and membership is also free.
Section 2. In the event that a motion has been agreed upon by the members,
that may require money to be collected, these three rules are to
apply:
1. That it is to be a one-time fee and not recurring.
2. The members can choose to abstain from spending any money
and do so without penalty.
3. All designated and collected monies must be under the control of
the secretary/treasurer.
Section 3. The advisor may not have control of the funds and/or financial
records of the organization.
Section 4. There is to be a bank account established by the secretary/treasurer
to manage all funds in the event that such an account becomes
necessary.
Section 5. This organization accepts donations.
Section 6. This organization may engage in fundraising.

Article XI
Decision Making
Section 1. All motions made within the common body of members will be done
so by quorum which is to say that there must be a minimum of five members
present for a vote to take place. All votes are passed by a simple majority.
Section 2. All motions that are to have a significant effect upon the functions and
responsibilities of the society, or those requiring great resources, will have to be
decided in the Executive Committee. This body as established in Article XII, will
be in charge of discussing, debating, and passing motions that include:
The creation of new offices.
Changes to the constitution.
The selection and removal of advisors.
The establishment of new committees.
Limits to the maximum amount of members allowed into WFLS.

Article XII
Committees
Section 1. The Executive Committee is to consist of the president, the vice
president, and a third individual who is to be chosen from within
the common body of members (excluding office holders) before the
EC is to meet. All motions made within the EC must have a majority
in order to be pass.
Section 2. Think Tank Mode: This committee is to be established whenever the
common body of members has determined that it would be beneficial
to plan extra meetings focused on a specific topic or subject that
needs to be discussed at greater length with greater intensity. This
prolonged discussion should aim to construct a resolution, to be
 circulated among relevant circles as well as sent to the proper
authorities.
Section 3. New committees shall be established if they are thought to be
necessary or useful in executing the central goals of WFLS.

Article XIII
Advisors
Section 1. Any decision pertaining to the selection or removal of an advisor
for/in office is to be made by the Executive Committee. All decisions
regarding this matter will be submitted in writing to the SOC.
Section 2. Only faculty and staff are eligible for this office.
Section 3. The individual who has accepted their nomination to fill the advisory
role of the Wisdom Factory Literary Society, has taken upon
themselves certain duties, privileges, and rights.
They are to serve as the official spokesperson for the society along
with the president.
It is encouraged that they use their influence to obtain an audience
with those outside of the organization. These may be experts, people
of rank, scholars, etc. The special knowledge these persons may hold
could be valuable to our members and securing their time should
be the goal of the advisor.
The advisor is to offer their ideas and serve as council on matters
about how to improve upon our search for wisdom. We know this is
a lofty goal and only ask that they do their best in encouraging
progress towards these aims.
The level of commitment or involvement on the side of the advisor is
entirely set upon their discretion.
Section 4. The advisor may submit their resignation at any time, whenever they
wish, provided that they have notified the president in a timely
manner so as to permit the search for a successor.
Section 5. WFLS is to remain autonomous from the advisor.
 Article XIV
Death Clause
Section 1. Upon the termination of the organization for whatever reason, all
organizational assets should be transferred to the LBJ Debate
Society.
Section 2. All records maintained by WFLS concerning internal developments
are to be sent to the office of the Texas State University Archives.

Article XV
Amendments, by-laws, and additional rules
Section 1. The Constitution may be amended with the approval of the executive
committee. This process may include the following: the removal of
previous amendments, changes to existing amendments, or the
creation of new amendments all together.
Section 2. Once changes have been approved the common body of members
must be notified.
Section 3. Every three years or when changes to the constitution occur, the
SOC must be given the new document so that it may be reviewed.

Article XVI
Ratification
This Constitution is to be ratified with the signed consent of the following
members whom together represent a majority of membership.