CSA Charter for the Alternative Canon Theater Resource
(Request Recognition with Funding)

I. Mission Statement
The purpose of the Alternative Canon Theater Resource is to promote interest in theater that challenges concepts of a societal norm and embraces diversity in a way that is meaningful and thought-provoking. It intends to do this through the following activities:

The creation and maintenance of the Alternative Canon, a paper and web-based catalogue of relevant plays (with abstracts and reviews).

The staging of informal readings of plays to permit audience exposure without the same financial and personal commitment of a full-length production.

The production of one or two full-length productions per year, possibly including annual/biannual performances of “The Short Eyes Project”. (“The Short Eyes Project”, first performed last fall, is a workshop-format production of student-written, sometimes autobiographical work dealing with the experience of feeling like “the other” in various contexts.)

Bringing relevant speakers or performers to campus, either independently or in cooperation with other student organizations.

Possibly providing modest amounts of assistance to full-length productions that, while not produced by ACTR, meet ACTR’s interests and purpose.

II. Officers

A. Chair: responsible for convening meetings, overseeing the organization of sponsored events, assist other officers as needed, and serve as a contact for CSA.
B. Secretary: responsible for maintaining archives and paperwork, an active membership list, and meeting minutes.
C. Production Head: responsible for assisting directors and producers in: securing complete technical staff; coordinating with other theater organizations as needed; and serving as a primary contact and advisor for beginning directors and producers.
D. Treasurer: responsible for keeping financial records and managing finances.
E. Dramaturge: responsible for maintaining and adding to the play catalogue and organizing readings of these plays.
F. Publicity: responsible for publicizing organizational business and activities. (The only exception is full-length productions, which are expected to find publicists as part of their technical staff.)
G. All officers are expected to perform the following duties:

1. Serve as contacts and advisors for students interested in theater, particularly beginners.
2. Assist in the coordination of organizational events.
3. Select, as a committee, full-length productions to fund. (This process is further described in the By-Laws.)
4. Assist each other in fulfilling duties in extreme circumstances.

H. Multiple people can share all positions. One person can also occupy multiple positions, although it is recommended that positions be shared in this case.
I. An officer can be impeached by a two-thirds vote of all active members.

III. Election of Officers

A. Regular election of officers occurs annually, at the end of spring term. To run for a position, one must be a student and an active member.
B. At the meeting preceding elections, nominations can be made for positions. Anyone in attendance at the meeting can nominate a candidate.
C. If a nominee accepts the nomination, he/she must send the Secretary a brief description of his/her experience and interest relative to this position, also indicating whether he/she would accept or desire sharing the position.
D. The Secretary must compile these statements and make then easily available (via e-mail, Caucus, paper copies, etc.) to all active members.
E. At the election meeting, time must be provided for members to read the descriptions before voting.
F. Positions are assigned in accordance with the most votes earned by a candidate and whether or not the position should be shared.
G. In the event of a tie, candidates can either choose to share the position or hold a run-off vote.
H. If a candidate plans to go off-campus or take a leave of absence, he/she can either run jointly with another candidate who will supplement his/her term or run individually. If an individual candidate in this situation should win, elections to replace this candidate will be held the term before their absence.
I. Active members are allowed to participate in all aspects of the election process (nominations, running for office, voting in elections) by proxy if they are off campus or otherwise unable to attend meetings.
J. If unforeseen circumstances lead to the unexpected departure of an officer, elections to replace him/her should be held as soon as possible.

IV. Membership

A. Membership is open to all Carleton students, faculty, and staff. Active (voting) membership is only open to students.
B. Active members are allowed to elect officers, run for office, vote on amendments to the charter, and vote on other business affecting the fate of the organization.
C. Students qualify to be active members upon attending a meeting. The Secretary is responsible for making membership policies known to new visitors.
D. The Secretary shall retain a copy of the membership list.
E. In general, after being absent for two meetings, a member is deemed inactive until they attend a meeting again.
F. Members who are unable to attend meetings but wish to maintain their active status can do so by notifying the Chair and the Secretary, and the normal inactivity policy (IV.E) will no longer apply. These members are encouraged to participate by proxy, and the proxy’s presence will count as though the member is present.
G. Two-thirds of the active members must be present in order to elect officers or engage in other business that requires voting.

V. Annual Reports

A. During spring term, all officers should each write an annual report summarizing their important activities and possibly giving advice and recommendations for future officers. These reports should be kept by the Secretary.
B. The Chair should use these specialized reports to write a general annual report if requested to do so by CSA. In the absence of a request, this final report is recommended but not essential.

VI. Inventory Listings

A. The Chair and the Treasurer shall be responsible for the annual inventory listing.
B. The Secretary should retain a copy of the inventory listing.

VII. Conditions Under Which the Group Shall Be Disbanded

If membership falls below ten members for three terms, the organization can be disbanded.