Constitution of the Dialectic Senate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

January 20, 2022

Article I. Name and Purpose

  1. This body shall be known as the Senate of the Dialectic Society.
  2. Its purpose shall be
    1. to stimulate greater interest in parliamentary discussion,
    2. to promote useful knowledge,
    3. to foster close ties with the Philanthropic Society of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
    4. and to cultivate lasting friendships among members.

Article II. Membership

  1. Membership shall be determined by the appropriate articles in the Constitution of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.
  2. No member of the Dialectic Society shall be a member of the Philanthropic Society.
  3. A majority of the members of the Dialectic Society may choose to extend the title of Honorary Senator of the Dialectic Senate to any being, living or dead.
    1. Honorary Senators shall be noted in the roster by the Recorder.
    2. Honorary Senators shall not:
      1. Be permitted to vote or hold office within the Dialectic Senate;
      2. Be permitted to be present in executive sessions of the Dialectic Senate;
      3. Be counted towards the quorum of the Dialectic Senate;
      4. Become members of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, unless the appropriate articles regarding membership in the Constitution of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies have been followed.
    3. The title of Honorary Senator shall not be applied to any current or former full member of the Dialectic Society or a member of the Philanthropic Society.

Article III. Meetings

  1. One term of the Senate shall be defined as one collegiate semester.
  2. This Senate shall hold at least one meeting per term.
  3. The last meeting of each term shall be known as the Dialectic Society Caucus, and all members shall be required to attend. At this meeting all unfinished business shall be finished, all committees and officers shall make final reports, and the election of officers for the following term shall be held. After the elections, the new officers shall be inaugurated.
  4. Meetings of the Senate shall be called by the President, or by the signature of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee, or by the signature of three-sevenths (3/7) of the members of the Dialectic Senate.
  5. Attendance of visitors shall be regulated at the discretion of the President.
  6. Meetings of the Senate shall be held in the Dialectic Chamber, or at any other location as decided by the President, including virtual meetings on platforms such as Zoom.

Article IV. Government

  1. The administration of the Senate shall be vested in a President, a Censor Morum, a Recorder, a Chamberlain, a Committee on the Constitution, a Committee on the Exchequer, and any of the committees deemed necessary by the President.
  2. One term of office in the Senate shall be defined as one session of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.

Article V. Elections

  1. The election of all officers shall be by secret ballot in executive session, except when there is only one candidate for a given office, in which case they may be elected by unanimous consent.
  2. In any election, a majority of the whole number of votes cast shall be required for a choice.
  3. In the event that no candidate for any office receives a majority, then the top two candidates in the votes tallied will have a run-off.

Article VI. Installation of Officers

  1. The method of inauguration shall be as follows: At the call of the retiring President, the Chamberlain shall escort the President-elect to the chair. The retiring President shall then administer the incoming President the following obligation: “Do you solemnly promise that you will faithfully execute the duties of the President of the Senate of the Dialectic Society, and will, to the best of your ability, preserve and enforce this Constitution?” The President-elect shall answer “I do”, and the retiring President shall then turn over to the new President the
    Constitution and the President’s cane. The retiring President and the other outgoing officers shall retire, and the new President shall assume the chair. They shall then assume their duties and the other new officers shall take their respective places.

Article VII. The President

  1. The President shall be chosen from regular members of the Senate who shall have been members for at least one term.
  2. They shall preside at all regular meetings of the Senate, shall at their discretion call to order, fine, or admonish any member, and shall decide all questions of order and interpretation of the Constitution.
  3. They shall appoint all committees and committee chairmen, whose selection is not otherwise provided for.
  4. They shall call the attention of the Censor Morum to any negligence of duty on the part of officers and to breaches of the Constitution.
  5. If the President vacates the chair, they shall call the Censor Morum to the chair, this officer being present. In the event of the absence of the Censor Morum, the other officers shall be called to the chair in the order of Recorder and then Chamberlain, followed by the most senior member of the Dialectic Society present.
  6. They shall be a member ex-officio of all committees of the Senate.
  7. They shall serve as the chair of the Executive Committee
  8. They shall be authorized to fill temporary vacancies in the administration.
  9. They shall act as the representative of the Senate to the Foundation of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, Inc.
  10. They shall be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Dialectic Society.
  11. The President shall not serve in any elected office of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.

Article VIII. The Censor Morum

  1. The Censor Morum shall be chosen from the regular members of the Senate who shall have been members for at least one term.
  2. In the absence of the President, or at their request, they shall preside over the meetings of the Senate and perform all other duties of the President.
  3. They shall be the supreme arbiter and interpreter of all questions relating to the meaning of this constitution.
  4. They shall call the attention of the Senate to all violations of the Constitution or non-performance of duty by any officer, and the Senate shall take action as it deems fit in accordance with all laws made by the Senate for its self-governance.
  5. They shall serve as Chair of the Committee on the Constitution.

Article IX. The Recorder

  1. The Recorder shall be chosen from the regular members of the Senate.
  2. It shall be their duty to record in a neat and correct manner all transactions of the Senate and to read at the opening of each regular meeting the procedure of the last meeting. At the opening of each executive session, the procedure of the preceding executive session shall be read.
  3. The Recorder shall then note that the minutes have been accepted or rejected with the date of acceptance or rejection as directed by the Senate, sign this endorsement officially, and record it in the files of the Senate.
  4. They shall be required to file all official reports of officers, of committees, all letters of business pertaining to the Senate, and all other papers ordered by the Senate to be filed.
  5. They shall not have completed their duties during their term of office until all minutes and other records have been filed.
  6. It shall be their duty to prepare the agendas of all meetings of the Senate and to submit these agendas to all other members of the Executive Committee and to make these agendas available to all members of the Senate.

Article X. The Chamberlain

  1. The Chamberlain shall be chosen from the regular members of the Senate.
  2. They shall see that the will of the Senate in impeachment proceedings is carried out.
  3. It shall be their duty to see that order and decorum is preserved while the Senate is in session.
  4. They shall provide the mechanical means by which members may signify their Presence at all meetings of the Senate.
  5. It shall be their duty to tabulate all votes of the Senate.
  6. It shall also be their duty, upon request of the President, to notify members of special sessions of the Senate.
  7. They shall be responsible for the collections of fines levied by the President of the Senate of the Dialectic Society and shall be responsible for maintaining the treasury of the Dialectic Society.
  8. They shall be responsible for giving a report on the state of the treasury at the last meeting of the semester.
  9. They shall serve as Chair of the Committee on the Exchequer.
  10. They shall, should the Dialectic Society ever attempt to register as a student organization, serve ex-officio as the organizational treasurer of the Society.
  11. They shall, in times of war, report to the President as Chief of the Defense Staff.
  12. Prior to meetings of the Dialectic Senate, they shall thoroughly search the chamber for members of the Philanthropic Society and eject any they may find.

Article XI. The Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Senate with the President acting as chair.
  2. It shall be the duty of this committee to meet with and advise the President on matters of policy and matters concerning the various functions to be carried out by the officers and committees of the Senate.

Article XII. The Committee on the Constitution

  1. The Committee on the Constitution shall consist of an odd number of Dialectic Senators, including the Censor Morum, appointed at the Censor Morum’s discretion.
  2. Any members appointed by the Censor Morum must be approved by a majority vote of the Dialectic Senate and shall serve for one term.
  3. It shall be the duty of this committee to examine and report to the Senate all amendments, inclusions, and exclusions to the Constitution.

Article XIII. The Committee on the Exchequer

  1. The Committee on the Exchequer shall consist of an odd number of Dialectic Senators, including the Chamberlain, appointed at the Chamberlain’s discretion.
  2. Any members appointed by the Chamberlain must be approved by a majority vote of the Dialectic Senate and shall serve for one term.
  3. It shall be the duty of this committee to:
    1. Manage the liquid and fixed assets of the Dialectic Society, including the earthly and heavenly assets of Sen. God.
    2. Request funding from the Undergraduate Senate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
    3. Set forth the fiscal and monetary policies of the Dialectic Society.

Article XIV. Amending the Constitution

  1. The process for amending the Constitution shall be as follows:
    1. Any member of the Committee on the Constitution may propose an amendment to the Constitution or may present a proposed amendment on the behalf of any other member of the Society.
    2. The Committee on the Constitution shall then consider all proposed amendments, alter them as they see necessary, and then may report them to the Senate by a majority vote.
    3. The Censor Morum shall present any proposed amendments reported by the Committee on the Constitution to the full Senate during the business portion of the next meeting and the floor shall then be opened for queries and then discussion.
    4. After discussion has ended, there shall be a roll call vote of the Senate. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members of the Senate present shall be necessary to adopt the amendment and thus alter the Constitution accordingly.
  2. Any part of this Constitution or the Constitution as a whole may be suspended for no longer than the duration of a single meeting following a majority vote of the Executive Committee and then a five-sevenths (5/7) vote of the senators present.

Article XV Resolutions and Legislation

  1. The Senate of the Dialectic Society may pass at any time such resolutions and legislation as it shall deem necessary for the continued operation of the Society.
  2. Internal resolutions and bills intended to govern some aspect of the Dialectic Society shall upon passage, be filed with the Recorder and the Censor Morum. It shall be the Censor Morum’s duty to ensure the observance and compliance with such resolutions and bills.

Article XVI. Fines and Impeachment

  1. Rowdy, obscene, unseemly, inebriated, or otherwise indecent, disrespectful, or ungentle displays of behavior are subject to fine at the discretion of the chair or by a majority vote of the Senate of the Dialectic Society. The maximum fine shall be ten dollars per count. In the event that a member feels that a fine was levied unjustly, they may appeal the fine to the Senate of the Dialectic Society, and a majority vote of members present shall sustain the fine.
  2. Grounds for impeachment of officers shall consist of extravagant breaches of decorum, gross neglect of duty, or any overt act or attitude reprehensible to the interest of the Dialectic Society.
  3. A bill of impeachment for misconduct in office, listing all charges, may be brought by any three active members against any officer. The merits of all impeachments shall be decided by the Senate of the Dialectic Society. In the event that the President is impeached, the Censor Morum shall preside.
  4. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the Senate of the Dialectic Society present shall be necessary for removal from office, provided that a fair trial shall have been held, at which time, the officer in question has the opportunity to present their defense, and that they shall have received written notice at least one week in advance of the trial and presentation of the charges against him, and that the members bringing the charges shall be present at the trial.
  5. An impeached officer shall not be eligible for election to any office in the Senate of the Dialectic Society for one term following their removal from office, provided the conditions of their removal do not require a longer time.
  6. All proceedings during a trial for impeachment shall be kept secret.

Article XVII. Admonishments

  1. The Censor Morum may, at any time, issue an admonishment to a member of the Dialectic Society for any moral invirtues or any other reason.
  2. The Censor Morum shall present all admonishments to the President in writing, and the President shall read all admonishments aloud during business at the next meeting of the Dialectic Senate.
  3. An admonishment shall not mean anything other than that the member admonished ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Article XVIII. Voting

  1. All voting in the Senate not otherwise provided for in this Constitution shall be by voice vote, unless otherwise at the discretion of the chair.
  2. Proxy votes may be accepted as valid provided that the proxy for an active member empowering another active member to vote shall be presented in writing to the chair.
  3. Proxies may be of general nature or may specify exactly to what issue the vote pertains and/or nature of the vote.

Article XIX. Quorum

  1. The quorum for the conduct of all business and elections shall consist of a majority of the active membership.

Article XX. Parliamentary Procedure

  1. Whenever the Constitution is silent to a point of order, the procedure of the Dialectic Society shall be governed by the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
  2. The order of business shall be determined by the officers at the Executive Committee meeting preceding each meeting of the Senate of the Dialectic Society.

Article XXI: Vacancies and Continuity of Leadership

  1. Should the office of the President fall permanently vacant for any reason, the Censor Morum shall automatically become President for the remainder of the term.
  2. Should the offices of the President and the Censor Morum both be vacant, the Recorder shall automatically become President for the remainder of the term.
  3. Should the offices of the President, the Censor Morum, and the Recorder all be vacant, the Chamberlain shall automatically become President for the remainder of the term.
  4. Should all offices be vacant, the senior-most member of the Dialectic Society shall become the acting President and shall within 10 days of becoming acting President hold a meeting of the Dialectic Senate to elect new officers, and upon the election of a new President shall cease to be the acting President.
  5. No person shall hold more than one office of the Dialectic Senate, and should any subordinate officer ascend to the presidency, their previous office shall be automatically resigned.
  6. Should the office of the President be filled but any of the other offices be vacant, the President shall appoint a member of the Dialectic Senate to serve in that capacity for the remainder of the term upon a majority vote of the Dialectic Senate.

Article XXII: Symbology of the Dialectic Society

  1. Motto of the Society
    1. The motto of the Dialectic Society shall be “Virtus et Scientia” meaning Virtue and Knowledge.
  2. Color of the Society
    1. The color of the Dialectic Society shall be Dialectic Blue, also known as Carolina Blue, and shall be defined as that corresponding to the HEX code #6699C2.
  3. Anthem of the Society
    1. The anthem and official song of the Dialectic Society shall be “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Julia Ward Howe.
    2. The first stanza and chorus of the anthem shall be sung at the commencement of all meetings of the Dialectic Society.
  4. Patron and Father of the Society
    1. The patron of the Dialectic Society shall be recognized as William Davie, founder of the University of North Carolina.
    2. The father of the Dialectic Society shall be recognized as James Mebane, the first president of what was then called the Debating Society.
  5. Flag of the Society
    1. The Senate may, by majority vote, adopt a flag code describing a Flag of the Society and the appropriate practices related to the Flag; following the adoption of a flag code, the flag code shall not thereafter be amended without a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senate.
    2. Should there be a flag code in effect, it shall be attached as an addendum to all copies of this Constitution.
    3. The Flag of the Society shall be flown from all naval vessels of the Dialectic Society.
  6. Seal of the Dialectic Society
    1. The Seal of the Dialectic Society shall be defined as the seals found above the doors leading to the closet and the area behind the dais in the Dialectic Chamber respectively.
    2. The Seal of the Dialectic Society shall be on pins worn by all Senators of the Dialectic Society during meetings of the Dialectic Senate and the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.
    3. The Seal of the Dialectic Society shall be made present on all visual media produced by the Dialectic Society.
  7. Chants of the Society
    1. During times of jubilation, competition, victory, et cetera, the phrases which shall be chanted by members of the Society shall be “VIR-TUS,” “AGR-I-CUL-TUR-A,” and “EXCEL-EN-TIA.”

Article XXIII. Legality of the Constitution

  1. This Constitution shall become the law of the Senate upon its adoption by three-fourths of the membership of the Senate.
  2. If there is any conflict between the Constitution of the Senate of the Dialectic Society and that of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies then the Constitution of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies shall take precedence and all parts of this Constitution which are in conflict shall be severed.