Mission

The mission of Operation Smile is one of humanitarian service to those in need, a foundation of the Lasallian ideal. It is written in the mission statement of the Christian Brothers that a Lasallian is called to help those in need as they “strive to become aware of their dignity and to live and to be recognized as human beings,” the cornerstone of the Operation Smile mission. The specific aims of a La Salle University Chapter organization of Operation smile are to raise awareness of the worldwide organization and to secure financial support for its continued operation. Through aggressively active involvement of its members, the La Salle Chapter will allow the values and goals of Operation Smile, which are consistent with the calling of the Lasallian spirit, to become ingrained in the educational landscape of La Salle University.

Goals

The goals of the La Salle Chapter organization of Operation Smile are to:

· raise awareness of Operation Smile and its worldwide mission, both on the La Salle campus and in the community

· collect funds, both for the worldwide Operation Smile organization and the La Salle Chapter

· work to build the La Salle Chapter with the goal of one day sending students on Operation Smile missions

· support and follow the Mission Statement of the organization and the values of the University

Programs

In order to achieve these goals, the La Salle Chapter of Operation Smile will carry out the following activities:

· collecting money through campus fundraising activities

· seeking corporate sponsorships from the business community

· offering awareness presentations to local high schools

· participating in La Salle campus activities

· providing education about the organization for health care professionals

· involving the local community in organization activities

· engaging in cooperative efforts with other La Salle student organizations

· offering presentations in a classroom setting to members of the La Salle community

· inviting guest speakers to give lectures

· producing and distributing a newsletter

Membership

Participation in the La Salle Chapter of Operation Smile is open to all members of the La Salle University community, and is not to be denied on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or physical disability. Membership in the organization is not to be restricted to those pursuing a pre-health goal; rather, individuals from all academic disciplines are invited and encouraged to become involved.

Board

The board of the organization consists of the following elected officers:

· President: oversees the organization, making coordinated decisions with the board and general membership about programs and activities

· Vice President: shares with the President the responsibility for making decisions and coordinating programs and activities

· Secretary: keeps record of activities and takes minutes of meetings, acts as a liaison between the La Salle Chapter and the worldwide organization, distributes information via e-mail to organization members

· Treasurer: oversees the finances of the organization, keeps record of expenditures and compensates members for money spent for organization activities and supplies

· Public Relations / Activities Officers: establish relationships with individuals both inside and outside the campus community to achieve the goals set forth by the organization, seek out corporate sponsors, advertise organization meetings and events

The members of the board will make reports of the organization’s status at each meeting. Along with these board members, committees will be established within the general membership itself to help organize events and secure financial support for the organization. The purpose of these committees is to ensure that every member of the organization can become involved in the planning and execution of Operation Smile’s goals.

Election Procedures

Annual election of new board members will take place at the end of each February. This timing is meant to allow the new officers a chance to acclimate themselves to the board while members of the previous board are still around to give any needed assistance. A week before elections are held, anyone interested in running for the position of President will give a speech and a written essay to the members, outlining his or her goals for the organization and motivation for desiring presidency.

Elections will take place a week after the presidential candidates have given their speeches. The candidate with the most votes will be appointed President, and the candidate with the second-highest number of votes will be appointed Vice President. Any candidate for presidency who is not appointed as either President or Vice President may run for any other board position.

Votes will be counted by an officer of the outgoing board and a member of the organization who is not seeking election to any board position. In the case of a tie, the outgoing board will collectively cast the deciding vote.

Attendance is recorded at each organization meeting. Only active members of the organization may run for a board position, and only active members may vote in board elections. An active member is defined as someone who has been a part of the organization for at least one semester, and who has attended at least half of the organization’s meetings during that time.

Funding

In order to gain the largest possible membership, no membership dues will be collected. It is understood that, in order to operation the organization, it will be necessary for all members to participate in fundraising activities. This may include helping organize or run an on-campus fundraiser or writing letters to solicit sponsorship from off-campus entities, such as corporations and local businesses.

Amendments

Proposed amendments to this Constitution may be made to the members of the board, in writing, by any active member of the organization. The amendment proposal will be discussed at the next organization meeting. After this discussion has taken place, an e-mailed ballot will be sent to all active members. For an amendment to be passed, the organization’s faculty advisor and 80% of the active members must agree to it.