Article II. PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization shall be to provide students, regardless of skill level, the opportunity to:

• Enhance their knowledge of horsemanship and general equestrian skills
• Encourage good sportsmanship
• Experience healthy competition within the guidelines set by the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA)
• Gain a sense of team spirit and camaraderie

Article III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. General membership to WVUEC is open to all WVU students and alumni. However, WVU requires that the voting membership of all recognized student organizations consists only of WVU undergraduate students. Therefore, only those members that are undergraduates may vote on club matters.

Section 2. The organization will not deny membership on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Member participation in WVUEC activities is subject to rules and regulations of the WVUEC, WVU and the IHSA.

Section 3. Team Membership Requirements

• Purchase of a $250 lesson package each semester
• Payment of $25 WVUEC dues each semester
• Sale of advertisements for the home meet program (Minimum of $60 for showing members, $30 for non-showing members)
• Participate in a minimum of 2 fundraisers per semester
• Ride once a week with team coach or instructor appointed by the coach
• Attend all team meetings. If you must miss a meeting notify an officer
• Mandatory presence at all WVU home meets, plus attendance at one or both preparation days
• Mandatory presence at a minimum of one away BUS meet per semester
• Read and sign all required paperwork in a timely fashion

Section 3.1. Lesson packages are $250.00 per semester for 10 lessons. Lesson packages must be paid in full by the third meeting of each semester. Refunds for lesson packages follow the procedure for WVU tuition refunds as outlined in the WVU Undergraduate catalog. Below is the schedule:

• 1st week 90%
• 2nd week 90%
• 3rd week 70%
• 4th week 70%
• 5th week 50%
• 6th week 50%

Section 3.12. Makeup lessons can be arranged at the discretion of the coach. Any lessons not taken by the end of the semester will NOT carry over to the next semester.

Section 3.2. WVUEC membership dues are $25.00 per semester. Membership dues must be paid in full by the third meeting of each semester, by which time membership forms should also be submitted. Students joining WVUEC after the third meeting will be required to pay full dues within 7 days of joining. If a member withdraws from WVUEC, a refund of membership dues will be as follows:

• Within 7 days of joining-$20.00
• Within 8-14 days of joining-$10.00
• After 14 days-no refund

Section 3.3. If all fees are not paid within the first three weeks of the semester, a late charge of $5.00 will be added weekly thereafter. The Executive Committee will discuss special circumstances.

Section 3.4. If members fail to meet the team membership requirements listed in Article III, Section 3 of the WVUEC Constitution, they will not be permitted to begin/continue weekly riding lessons and showing. This includes payment of all fees and all attendance obligations.

Article IV. OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers for the 2002-03 academic year are as follows:

• Captain - Michele Wirth
• President - Alison Toews
• Vice-President/Co-Captain - Marisa Weber
• Secretary - Jen Compton
• PR Secretary -
• Treasurer -

Section 2. Duties for each officer are as follows:

• Captain: The duties of the Captain shall be to preside over all activities involving Team competition, help and support showing members at all IHSA competitions, serve as a liaison between coach and membership, and to work with the President to maintain a cohesive Team and Club.
• President: The duties of the President shall be to preside over all Club activities, serve as a liaison between WVU and the WVUEC, be the WVUEC representative at all Sports Club Federation meetings, and to work with the Captain to maintain a cohesive Team and Club.
• Vice-President: The duties of the Vice-President shall be to act as Co-captain at all IHSA competitions, serve all functions of the President or Captain in the absence of the President or Captain, and lead those programs and committees appointed by the President or Captain.
• Secretary: The duties of the Secretary shall be to record, post, and email meeting minutes, keep accurate attendance records, notify members of upcoming club activities, and maintain an up-to-date calendar of events and phone list for all members.
• PR Secretary: The duties of the PR Secretary shall be posting advertisements in the WVU school newspaper for upcoming meetings and activities and providing on-going publicity for the club..
• Treasurer: The duties of the Treasurer shall include maintaining accurate records of collections and disbursements made on behalf of the club account with necessary details and collection of necessary paperwork from WVUEC members. The Treasurer shall be appointed, not elected (See Article IV, Section 3.1).

NOTE: ONLY MINIMUM DUTIES ARE STATED AND OTHER DUTIES MAY EXIST.

Section 3. The election of the Executive Council will be held at the end of the spring semester. Any members may be nominated for position. Officers will be elected by a majority vote. A minimum of 2/3 of the members must be present. In the event of a vacancy on the council, it will be filled by an election at the earliest possible meeting. With the exception of the office of Treasurer, all elected or appointed officers in this organization must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the time of election or appointment. Furthermore, the member may not be on academic or disciplinary probation.

Section 3.1. The Treasurer will be appointed by the Executive Committee. This individual may or may not be a WVU student and may or may not be a member of the team. This individual will show responsibility and the knowledge necessary to properly handle all WVUEC accounting and finances. The Executive Committee shall reserve the right to remove any individual from this office if necessary. If the appointed Treasurer is not a WVU student, a WVU student will be selected to serve as a liaison between the Treasurer, the WVUEC, and WVU.

Article V. TEAM FUNDS

Section 1. The President or Captain will discuss all required monetary disbursement of team monies prior to spending. Required disbursement includes entry fees, coaching fees, lesson packages, home meet expenditures, and any payment to WVUEC credit accounts. Optional spending on activities such as social gatherings or organizational donations must be approved by a majority vote of the WVUEC prior to spending.

Section 2. At the end of each academic year, the club must leave $1,000.00 in either a Certificate of Deposit or savings account for the club to use during the following academic year.

Article VI. COACH

Section 1. The coach of the WVUEC shall be Michele Koury of Valley Ridge Farm, Inc., and will remain so until her resignation is received by the Executive Committee or until there is a majority vote with complete membership present to change coaches.

Section 2. The Treasurer is responsible for paying the coach for lesson packages paid for which the members have paid. The coach will also receive a coaching fee of $100.00 per regular IHSA competition, not to exceed $1000.00 per academic year. No fee will be paid for the coaching of those members qualifying for Regional, Zone, or National Finals.

Article VII. MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular meetings will be held on a weekly basis. Executive Committee meetings will be held at the discretion of the officers. Special meetings may be called if necessary. The Executive Committee has the right to cancel or change any regularly scheduled meetings.

Section 2. Meetings are mandatory for all club members. If a member cannot attend a meeting, he/she must inform the Coach or an officer prior to that meeting. Any missed meeting without notification will be considered unexcused. The accumulation of more than 2 unexcused absences is considered a failure to meet team membership requirements (See Article III, Section 3.4).

Article VIII. COMPETITION

Section 1. Club activities will include the opportunity for competition in the IHSA at regular, regional, zone and national levels for club members who qualify under IHSA rules.

Section 2. In order to compete safely and effectively, IHSA participants must ride a minimum of four hours per month under the instruction of the club's IHSA coach or instructor appointed by the coach. This will be accomplished by purchasing a lesson package consisting of ten one-hour group lessons per semester.

Section 2.1. The coach may recommend additional hours of instruction in order for a showing member to compete safely and fairly. (This is standard procedure with other IHSA clubs). The cost of the additional hours of instruction will be the responsibility of the team member.

Section 2.2. All members attending a meet, whether showing or non-showing, must stay the full length of the meet. The Executive Committee will take special circumstances under consideration.

Article IX. SPECIAL WVU REQUIREMENTS
This organization will adhere to the West Virginia University Code of Student's Rights and Responsibilities.

Article X. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
The Constitutional Committee may make amendments to this Constitution when a quorum of 2/3 of the committee is present, and the majority is no less than 60% in favor.

BY-LAWS FOR THE WVUEC CONSTITUTION