About Us
The Philippine Society of Boston College (PSBC) is a diverse organization that strives to foster Filipino culture on campus. Through various events, PSBC promotes an atmosphere of education, understanding, and most importantly, friendship. Now in our 18th year, we hold the longest standing multi-cultural show, which showcases, in particular, Filipino dances. Through our show, newsletter, and forums, we endeavour to promote awareness of Filipino traditions and history.
PSBC is also an active participant in the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND, Inc.). As a part of District One, PSBC works with nine other schools in the greater Boston area to network Filipino student organizations and promote unity through events like Kamayan and the Fall Dialogue. The club extends membership to all BC students; out "PAMILYA" is open to anyone interested in learning about Filipino culture!
Mission Statement
The Philippine Society of Boston College (PSBC) is an organization that celebrates the beauty and richness of the Filipino culture. It fosters community spirit through the meetings as well as the special events it hosts. As a club we adhere to three main objectives: First to strengthen the bonds of our members. Secondly to develop an understanding and appreciation for Filipino and Filipino-American culture. Lastly to network with other Filipino organizations in the greater Boston area. PSBC is a family. It is a culture. It is unity. It is a closeness in which we, the members, truly appreciate as our own. PSBC welcomes anyone and everyone thrives off its diversity. For this reason, we ask you to become part of this experience.
Constitution
ARTICLE I. NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION
SECTION 1. The organization will be officially known as Philippine Society of Boston College (PSBC).
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION
SECTION 1. To strengthen relations between Filipinos and Filipino Americans;
SECTION 2. To promote Philippine culture and heritage within Boston College and within the Boston community;
SECTION 3. To create and fortify a substantial link between Filipinos in the United States and in the Philippines.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. Membership is open to all members of the Boston College community regardless of race, sex, color, religion, national origin or citizen status, political belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or Vietnam veteran status.
SECTION 2. Tenure for all members will be one (1) full academic year.
SECTION 3. There are two classes of members: Active and Honorary.
A. Active members are full-time registered students of Boston College.
B. Honorary members are members who, through the general consensus of active members, are awarded membership due to exemplary actions following or furthering in principle the purposes of the organization.
SECTION 4. Membership Privileges
A. All members have the right to express their ideas and opinions of the functions of the organization.
B. All members have the opportunity to participate in all organizational endeavors.
C. All active members have the right to nominate an honorary member.
D. Voting Rights i. Active members who have attended and/or participated in any two (2) events sponsored by the organization have the right to vote during general elections ii. Honorary members cannot vote.
ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVES
SECTION 1. The Philippine Society of Boston College will be governed by an Executive Board consisting of eight (8) Executives.
SECTION 2. The Executive Board will decide by majority vote and each Executive of the Board is entitled to one (1) vote.
SECTION 3. Tenure for all members of the Executive Board will be one (1) full academic year.
SECTION 4. All Executives must be matriculating at Boston College during the tenure of their term.
SECTION 5. The Executives of the Board shall not hold executive office positions on other student organizations on or off campus, nor shall the President be a Resident Assistant (RA) during the tenure of their term. The External Representative is exempt in the case of the Executive Board of District One of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Inc. (FIND, Inc.), whereby the duty of the External Representative is to represent the Philippine Society of Boston College on that Board.
SECTION 6. The tasks and duties of the Executive Board.
A. PRESIDENT. The primary task of the President is to facilitate the exchange of arguments or topics presented to the Board for discussion. Other functions of the President are to convene meetings, develop the agenda for the Board meetings, assume responsibility of the efficient coordination and communication among the Executives of the Board, manage the overall logistics of events hosted by the organization, maintain contact with the appropriate Dean for Student Development and the club advisor, and serve as the official representative of the Philippine Society of Boston College in official functions.
B. VICE-PRESIDENT. The primary task of the Vice-President is to share in the responsibilities and duties of the President. The Vice-President will assist in coordinating the Executive Board meetings and will also work to foster and maintain a positive working relationship among the Executives. The Vice-President will act as the official representative for the Philippine Society of Boston College at university functions in the absence of the President.
C. TREASURER. The primary task of the Treasurer is to draft the annual budget for the organization and to allocate the funds in order to finance all events sponsored by the Philippine Society of Boston College. In addition, the Treasurer is responsible for keeping and maintaining the financial records of the organization.
D. SECRETARY. The primary task of the Secretary is to carry out organizational operations and administrative functions, which include and not limited to: designing and printing flyers, taking minutes, and distributing minutes to the Executives of the Board. Other duties of the Secretary include updating, maintaining and preserving the list of active and honorary members, and the Secretary is responsible for the delivery of informative materials to the members of the organization.
E. PRODUCTIONS MANAGER. The primary task of the Productions Manager is to promote Philippine culture and heritage within the Boston College community through the production of the annual culture show. The Productions Manager will carry out this task by organizing committees, dances, and guest performances. The Productions Manager shall work in tandem with the Dance Coordinator.
F. DANCE COORDINATOR. The primary tasks of the Dance Coordinator are to organize the scheduling and logistics of dance rehearsals for performances, the annual culture show, as well as any guest performances which require extra preparation. With the Productions Manager, the Dance Coordinator is responsible for overseeing dance choreographies as well as appointing choreographers. The Dance Coordinator must have a basic knowledge of traditional Filipino dances, as he or she serves as the main choreographer and instructor.
G. INTERNAL REPRESENTATIVE. The primary task of the Internal Representative is to serve as the liaison between other on-campus student organizations and the Philippine Society of Boston College, and to foster relations with those organizations while remaining politically aware of issues affecting all Boston College students. In addition, the Internal Representative serves as a voting member on the AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) Caucus and reports to the Executive Board information from the Caucus meetings.
H. EXTERNAL REPRESENTATIVE. The primary task of the External Representative is to promote the Philippine Society of Boston College outside the Boston College community. In addition, the External Representative is responsible for fostering ties with organizations in other universities to further the purpose of the Philippine Society of Boston College. In addition the External Representative serves as the liaison between the Philippine Society of Boston College and District One of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Inc. (FIND, Inc.).
SECTION 7. The Executive Board may create a position onto the Board for its current term under its discretion.
A. The position shall be created when there is a majority vote on the Board of at least six (6) Executives in favor of the position.
B. Each candidate for the position must be nominated by at least two (2) Executives of the Board.
C. The Executive Board will hold a closed-ballot election for appointment of a candidate onto the position.
D. The position shall last for the tenure of the current academic year.
ARTICLE V. ELECTIONS
SECTION 1. Elections for the governing body of the following academic year will be held in either March or April.
SECTION 2. Eligibility of Candidates
A. Each candidate must have fulfilled at least one (1) academic year of active membership in the Philippine Society of Boston College.
B. Each candidate must be nominated during election night by at least two (2) active members.
C. Each candidate vying for the office of the President must have served at least one (1) academic year on the Executive Board of the Philippine Society of Boston College.
D. Each candidate may run for at most two (2) executive offices on the Board, but shall only hold one (1) executive office if elected.
SECTION 3. The Electoral Process
A. The Election date shall be decided by the Executive Board.
B. Elections will be closed-ballot voting.
C. The Executive Board shall appoint two (2) active members of the organization who are not on the Board to distribute the closed-ballots.
D. The two (2) appointed active members will be responsible for the tabulation of the electoral returns and the announcement of the results at 9:00A.M. of the day following the elections.
SECTION 4. Active members may vote for a candidate for only one (1) executive office.
SECTION 5. In the event of a tie, a Special Election will be held within a week of the regular election day. The Special Elections will follow the procedure of the regular annual elections.
ARTICLE VI. ORGANIZATION MEETINGS
SECTION 1. General Meetings should be held at least twice a semester.
SECTION 2. The Executive Board Meetings
A. The Board shall hold an executive meeting once a week.
B. The President must call Special Meetings upon the request of any two (2) Executives.
SECTION 3. A Pre-election Meeting for the purpose of disseminating information regarding office positions of the Executive Board and general information about elections must be held within a month from the election date.
ARTICLE VII. IMPEACHMENT
SECTION 1. With reasonable cause, the Philippine Society of Boston College has the right to remove any Executive through an impeachment process.
SECTION 2. A petition signed by at least six (6) Executives of the Board should be submitted in writing to the Executive Board for an inquiry on the performance and conduct of an Executive to commence.
SECTION 3. The Executive Board, exclusive of the Executive in question, must consult with the faculty advisor to determine if petition that contains the allegations has any merit
SECTION 4. If the Executive Board and the faculty advisor deem that the petition has merit, the Executive in question will be temporarily relieved of his or her duties and the other Executives will decide on a temporary replacement.
SECTION 5. The Executive Board and the active members of the Philippine Society of Boston College must meet one week after a petition is deemed with merit in a closed-door meeting. The faculty advisor will moderate the proceedings. Both sides must be given an equal chance to voice and defend their views during this session.
SECTION 6. The Executive board and the active members of the Philippine Society of Boston College will meet one week after the closed-door session to vote on the impeachment of the Executive. Each person is entitled to one (1) vote and two-thirds (2/3) majority vote will rule.
SECTION 7. An Executive of the Board is exonerated of the allegations if a majority vote on his or her impeachment is not reached. An Executive is automatically reinstated when the results of the elections are released the next day. The Executive will immediately assume the responsibilities of his or her office.
ARTICLE VIII. VACANCY
SECTION 1. A vacancy of an Executive Office will be discussed in a Special Meeting called by the Executive Board.
SECTION 2. The Special Meeting will be held within two (2) weeks after the executive office has been vacated for the purpose of nominating and voting on two (2) or more eligible candidates.
SECTION 3. A Special Election will be held to decide which candidate will fill the vacancy. The candidate with the highest number of votes will take over the duties of the vacated executive office.
SECTION 4. The executive office will be held for the remainder of the current academic year.
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1. Suggested amendments to the Philippine Society of Boston College Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board.
SECTION 2. A General Meeting for all members will be called and the amendment will be discussed and voted on at that said meeting. A majority totaling two-thirds (2/3) of the number of active members present is needed for an amendment to be passed.
SECTION 3. A proposed amendment will only be valid if approved by the Office of the Dean of Student Development (ODSD).
ARTICLE X. FACULTY ADVISOR
SECTION 1. The Executive Board will select a Faculty Advisor to provide advice and assistance as needed. The Executive Board should meet with the Faculty Advisor frequently to discuss the progress and future goals of the organization.
ARTICLE XI. ASIAN CAUCUS ARTICLE
SECTION 1. The Philippine Society of Boston College agrees to be a member of the Asian Caucus and to abide by the Asian Caucus Constitution.