El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A.
(Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan)
CONSTITUTION

Article I:Name ot the Organization

The name of the organization shall be El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan).

Article II: Purpose

A. The purpose of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. is to study, educate, inform, and promote to the students, faculty, staff, and community at large about the political, cultural, social, economic, and philosophic issues that pertain to the Chicano community with an emphasis on Indigenous / Native American heritage. As a disenfranchised group, Chicanos are lacking opportunities in education and self awareness in a society that systematically marginalized those groups outside the mainstream status quo. Hence, El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. is primarily involved in raising the awareness level of Chicanos y Chicanas in the Rio Grande Valley who have regionalized experience of their identity and culture. Thus we shall strive also to combine theory and practice in our activism and seek social and economic justice as a Xicano Tiahui (Chicano movement.)
B. As indicated by our name, El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A, we will affiliate ourselves to the idealogy and movimiento of M.E.Ch.A. as a national organization, while maintaining our own individuality within the rules and regulations of M.E.Ch.A. We will take the necessary, such as adopting the Plan de Santa Barbara to stay affiliated to M.E.Ch.A.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Membership shall be open to only students who are enrolled at the University of Texas-Pan American regardless of race, national origins, creed or political affiliation, sex (in accordance with Title X of the Student Body Handbook), religion, age, handicap, or veteran's status who are in general accord with the above stated purpose, and who pays the membership dues as established in Article VI of this constitution.
Section 2. Community Sympathizer membership will be open to men and women who are part of the community at large and who are in general agreement with the purpose of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. This membership will have a consultative vote, but such does not have official status in the decision making, policy making, elections of officer(s) of the Organizing Committee and other posts in the organization and do not have the right to hold office.
Section 3. A member shall be considered active if he/she has met the requirements as written in Article III Section 1 and comes to more than three (3) regular meetings of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. A member shall be considered inactive if he/she does not pay the membership dues in a timely manner as specified in Article VI.

Article IV. Officers and Elections

Section 1. El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. shall be governed by its membership. The official leadership and official voice shall be the Organizing Committee, hereafter known as the O.C., which shall be composed of four officers to serve for a period of time of one (1) academic year. Those officers shall be the President, Vice-President, Treasure, and Secretary. The Organizing Committee shall conduct the administrative affairs of the organization between meetings. They must maintain a record of what happened and report to the members.
Section 2 The duties of the officers of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. are as follows:
    A. The President shall act and speak as a figure head of the organization. He/she shall become acquainted with the purpose of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. and agrees to abide by them as long as he/she is in office. The President's duties shall include the calling of the first meeting of the semester, preside at all meetings, and oversee the activities of the Organizing Committee and El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A.
    B. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President's absence, shall assist the President in all the responsibilities of the Organizing Committee, shall serve as Parliamentarian, and be familiar with the constitution of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A.
    C. The Treasurer shall open and maintain (a) checking account(s) in the name of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. with his/her signature on file as an authorized depositor of the account, to collect and deposit all membership dues and special assessments and to deposit all other monies received from any other source, to pay obligations of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A, and petty cash as authorized by the President or a majority of the members at a regular meeting, to keep a record of all transactions, and to report to the members and the University of Texas-Pan American Office of Assistant Dean of Students (in accordance with the University regulations regarding student organizations and their financial responsibilities), every academic semester the financial records of the organization for the inspection by the membership at a meeting or upon request of the membership through a majority vote of the quorum.
    D. The Secretary shall keep the official minutes and membership list of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. as well as copies of all correspondence and other records of the organization that do not conflict with the Treasure's duties.
    E. Other duties shall be assigned by a simple majority vote of the members to individual members in the spirit of rotating tasks and using each member's skill.

Section 3. Officers shall be elected every academic year on the second week of the second month in the Fall semester with a vote of confidence in the Spring semester for all the officers in the Organizing Committee, with nominations for the candidates for the offices done one (1) week before elections, by a secret ballot, by a simple majority vote of the quorum. Election of officers must be announced to the membership via normal method of notifying members to regular meetings.
Section 4. Any officer of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. may be recalled from his/her office for non-performance of his/her duties and not maintaining the spirit of our constitution's purpose and movimiento as a whole. An officer may be recalled at any time by a simple majority vote of the quorum. The recall election must be announced to the membership via the normal method of notifying members of regular meetings. Any officer that is being recalled must relinquish his/her office if there is a two-third (2/3) vote at the meeting to decide the status of the officer. The recall voting shall be secret ballot. The motion to recall an officer shall be proposed at least one (1) meeting prior to the meeting when the vote will take place.
Section 5. Following the recall of an officer, a new officer shall be elected by simple majority vote of the quorum by secret ballot at a meeting to which the membership has been invited by the usual channels at least one (1) week in advance.
Section 6. If an officer or officers of the Organizing Committee resign(s) and/or an office or offices of the Organizing Committee becomes vacant, the procedure used in Article IV Section 5 of this Constitution shall be followed in order to fill the vacancy.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1. Meetings shall be held at least ten (10) times per semester. Special meetings may be called by any officer of the Organizing Committee of any individual member providing that he/she has let it be known to the other officers of the Organizing Committee at a regular meeting or otherwise.
Section 2. The quorum shall consist of one half plus one (1/2 +1) of the active membership.
Section 3. Procedures shall be based on Robert's Rule of Order as modified by the practice of the organization.

Article VI. Dues

Membership dues shall be required by El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. The dues will be paid every academic semester. The amount of the dues will be decided by simple majority of the quorum present in the second regular meeting of each semester. Dues must be paid by the third (3rd) meeting of that semester. Failure to pay dues will mean revocation of voting rights and/or membership status of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A.

Article VII. Advisors

Section 1. The number of advisors and their confirmation can be decided by a simple majority of the vote at any time during a regular meeting providing that prior notice was given to the membership. As per University policy, at least one (1) advisor must be a full- time faculty or staff member at the University of Texas-Pan American.
Section 2. An advisor may be recalled at any time by a simple majority vote of the quorum.

Article VIII. Committees

Section 1. Publishing Committee- The Publishing committee shall be established for the purposed of publishing a newsletter by the name of El Sol: La Voz Chicana.
Section 2. Cultural, Social, and Education Committee- This committee will be established for the purpose for the purpose of informing the membership and the people in general through any media possible about any information given by El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. in the mention categories.
Section 3. Other committees that the membership feels should be established shall be voted upon at any regular meeting by a simple majority of the quorum.

Article IX. Amendments to the constitution of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A.

Amendments to the constitution of El Sexto Sol de M.E.Ch.A. can be carried by a two-third (2/3) vote of the general membership. Amendments to the constitution should be proposed at least one (1) meeting in advance of the meeting when the vote will take place. Any amendment must be reviewed and approved by the Committee on Student Organizations as required by the University's policy.