PREAMBLE
            We, the Debate Society of De La Salle Lipa, as guided by the All Loving and Supreme God, through his divine intervention, adhere to the vision of the club, which is to develop a critical mind and to adapt, adopt and be adept with the different issues of today and tomorrow.
 
ARTICLE 1 - OFFICIAL NAME
            The official name of the organization shall be Debate Society.

ARTICLE 2 - OBJECTIVES
Section 1:         To acquire campus opinion regarding general issues.
Section 2:         To enhance students in their Debating skills.
Section 3:         To gain self-confidence in public speaking.
Section 4:         To enhance camaraderie among students through debate.

ARTICLE 3 - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:         Must be a bonafide student of De La Salle Lipa Tertiary School.
Section 2:         Must be a resident of at least one semester in the academe.
Section 3:         Individual having any participation in debate with the presence of the officers and/or the adviser will automatically be a member of the organization.

ARTICLE 4 - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS
Section 1:         To be considered as an active member one must take part in at least 70% of the club's activity.
Section 2:         Members must be present during election.
Section 3:         Members must attend atleast 50% of the announced meetings called by the Adviser, the Student Director, and the Associate Student Director.

ARTICLE 5 - OFFICERS AND THEIR QUALIFICATIONS
Section 1:         The Debate Society should be composed of the following positions: Chief Director, Associate Director for Internal Affairs, Associate Director for External Affairs, Chief Secretary, Senior Secretary, Chief Financial Director, Account Manager, Business Director, Advertising Manager, and Logistics Manager.

Section 2: Chief Director
2.1:      Candidates must be a former officer of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
2.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
2.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.

Section 3: Associate Director for Internal Affairs
3.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
3.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
3.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.
  
Section 4: Associate Director for External Affairs
4.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
4.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
4.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.
 
Section 5: Chief Secretary
5.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
5.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
5.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.
  Section 6: Senior Secretary
6.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
6.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
6.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication. 

Section 7: Chief Financial Director
7.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
7.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
7.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.
 
Section 8: Account Manager
8.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with atleast two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
8.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
8.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.

 Section 9: Business Director
8.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with at least two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
8.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
8.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.

Section 10: Advertising Manager
8.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with at least two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
8.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
8.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.

Section 11: Logistics Manager
8.1:      Candidates must be an active member of the Debate Society and enrolled in any program in De La Salle Lipa with at least two-semester residency in the Tertiary School.
8.2:      Candidates must posses a grade not lower than 2.75 from the semester immediately preceding the election.
8.3:      Candidates must not be involved in any serious or grave case/s as stated in the Student Handbook or any publication.

ARTICLE 6 - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1:         Duties of the members stated in Article 4 will also apply to all officers.
Section 2: Chief Director
            2.1:      Shall hold and preside all meetings that may be called upon.
            2.2:      Shall act as Head on all activities or programs conducted by the organization.
2.3:      Shall hold the final decision on matters of concern or conflict that may arise within the organization, provided that it is beneficial for the good of the majority.
 
Section 3: Associate Director for Internal Affairs
            3.1:      Shall assist the President in all internal affairs for the common good of the organization.
3.2:      Shall preside the meeting in the absence of the president as duly assigned, or in case that may be necessary to call such.
            3.3:      In the absence of the President he/she shall bear all the duties and responsibilities.
 
Section 4: Associate Director for External Affairs
            4.1:      Shall assist the President in all external affairs for the common good of the organization.
4.2:      Shall preside the meeting in the absence of the President and the Vice President - Internal as duly assigned, or in case that may be necessary to call such.
4.3:      In the absence of the President and Vice President - Internal he/she shall bear all the duties and responsibilities.

Section 5: Chief Secretary / Senior Secretary
            5.1:      Shall attend all meetings called upon by the organization or those assigned by its officers.
5.2:      Shall prepare minutes of the meetings for all manners of meeting called/ assigned by the organizers.
5.3:      Shall bear the responsibility and the provision of all documentations and paperwork needed by the organization.
5.4:      Shall file, compile, and preserve all documents and paperwork of the organization as may be needed for future use.

Section 6: Chief Financial Director / Account Manager
6.1:      Shall bear the responsibility on all matters regarding the finance or budget allotted for the organization.
6.2:      Shall provide a balance budget for the organization's activities, under the confirmation of the adviser and a quorum of the officer.
            6.3:      Shall be in charge of pre-financial report for all activities.
 
Section 7: Business Director
7.1:      Shall handle the documentation and paperwork that concerns the financial interest of the organization.
            7.2:      Shall keep an open record of all documented accounts that the organization has used.
            7.3:      Shall assist the treasurer in all financial work.
 
Section 8: Advertising Manager / Logistics Manager
            8.1:      Shall act as a committee head on advertising, printing and reservations.
            8.2:      Shall be the contact person for all adverting, printings and reservations.

ARTICLE 7 - TERMS AND VACANCIES
Section 1:        Tenure of officers will be one school year period in their respective positions, after which a new set of officers will be elected.
Section 2:        Major positions may be held only twice by the same individual. However, he/she can acquire lower positions.
 Section 3:        In case of vacancy of the President, the Vice President - Internal shall occupy the position.
 Section 4:        In case of vacancy in position/s excluding the President, remaining Debate Society officers with their respective Advisers shall nominate an active member and shall be confirmed by a majority vote.

ARTICLE 8 - REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Section 1:         Any officer shall be removed from office based on the following grounds:
1.1:      Gross negligence of official duties and responsibilities to be deliberated by a quorum of officers and advisers.
1.2:      Culpable violations such as stealing, forgery, tampering of official documents, records of the likes.
            1.3:      Grave offenses as stimulated in the Student Handbook.

 ARTICLE 9 - ADVISERS AND THEIR QUALIFICATIONS
Section 1:         The Debate Society should have one adviser.
Section 2: Adviser
            2.1:      Must be a Faculty or Staff of the tertiary school.
            2.2:      Must be invited formally by the officers.
            2.3:      Must formally accept the advisorship.
 
ARTICLE 10 - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ADVISERS
Section 1:         Duties of the members stated in Article 4 will also apply to the advisers.
 
Section 2: Adviser
            2.1:      Must guide and support all internal activities of the school.
            2.2:      Must be the signatory of all paperwork needed for the internal and or external activities.
            2.3:      Must be the payee for all check requisitions.
 
ARTICLE 11 - AMENDMENT
Section 1:         Any amendment to, in part or as a whole, of this Constitution may be proposed by any member with the support of two-thirds of other members along with the officers.

ARTICLE 12 - EFFECTIVITY
This Constitution shall take effect during the SY 2006 - 2007 and the proceeding school years until amended.