CHAOS Constitution

I. Name

The name shall be Cal Hiking and Outdoor Society, herein referred to as CHAOS.

II. Purposes

To facilitate interaction among people interested in recreational uses of wilderness and open space which have minimal human impact on the environment, including hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, bicycling, climbing, mountain biking, skiing, and canoeing.

To provide educational and recreational presentations on the outdoor activities listed above.

To promote inclusion and equity outdoors through our low-cost gear shed and membership, and education and recreation opportunities.   

To provide books, maps, equipment and advice for members planning to engage in the activities listed above.

To promote safety awareness in members who participate in outdoor activities.

III. Elected Officers

The elected officers shall be elected at the end of each spring semester of the academic year or as necessary to fill vacancies. The elected officers may be elected by a simple majority of active members present at a general meeting. Term of office is one year in all cases.  Each position can be run for by a single person or a team of two people. There is no term limit on elected officers, or the number of positions one can hold. Any elected officers can be impeached by a simple majority vote at an officer meeting if they are deemed to not be fulfilling their duties.

President(s)
The President(s) is/are the primary ASUC signatory. The President(s) may appoint additional signatories as necessary. The president(s) is/are responsible for ensuring long term success of the club, running the gourmet trip, recruiting new officers, and fulfilling or delegating the roles of any unfilled officer positions.

Social officer(s)
This/these elected officer(s) shall be responsible for organizing social meetings, including arranging the location of meetings and advertising for the meetings.

Treasurer(s)
This/these elected officer(s) shall be responsible for CHAOS monetary funds, including determining the yearly budget, submitting a yearly funding proposal to ASUC, submitting a yearly budget to ASUC, approving all CHAOS expenditures, depositing all CHAOS funds in ASUC approved accounts, and keeping accurate records of the above tasks.

Head Gear officer(s)
This/these elected officer(s) shall be responsible for lending out CHAOS equipment, books, and maps to members, for maintaining CHAOS equipment, books, and maps in good order, and for purchasing new equipment.

Trip Coordinator(s)
This/these elected officer(s) shall be responsible for coordinating at least two beginner trips per semester and leading other beginner hikes and trips if time allows.

IV. Appointed Officers

The appointed officers shall be appointed by either the headgear officer(s), the beginner trip coordinator(s) or the president(s). There is no term limit on appointed officers. There is no limit on the number of appointed officers there can be, but they generally fall into three categories:

Gear Officers
The Gear Officers assist in running the gear shed and each run one gear hour every week. They are appointed by the Head Gear Officer or the president.

Trip Leaders
The Trip Leader Officers assist in running the beginner backpacking trips and other trips and each go on at least one trip. They are appointed by the trip coordinator or the president.

Other appointed officer(s)
Other officers may be appointed at the discretion of the president. These roles may include but are not limited to: social media coordinator, sponsorship liaison, membership officer etc.

VI. Membership

Only currently registered students, faculty, and staff may be active members in a registered student organization. Only active members may vote or hold office.

UCB alumni and community members may join as “associate” or “non-active” members, who may not vote or hold office. This membership is contingent on all policies set forth this Constitution, and by UC Berkeley regarding sexual harassment, discrimination, and UC Berkeley Code of Conduct (https://sa.berkeley.edu/code-of-conduct).

Club dues will be set at $15/life or otherwise determined by the Committee. This allows access to the gear shed, officer-led events, and the email list.

We will not haze according to California State Law. 

We will not restrict membership based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services (including membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services).

VII. Anti-Hazing, Sexual Harassment, and Anti-Discrimination Clause

Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Policy Statement
CHAOS is committed to providing a safe environment for all its members free from discrimination on any ground and from harassment at meetings, trips, or other events including sexual harassment and discrimination. CHAOS will operate a zero tolerance policy for any form of sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace, treat all incidents seriously and promptly investigate all allegations of sexual harassment. Any person found to have sexually harassed or discriminated against another will face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the club, without refund. All complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination will be taken seriously and treated with respect and in confidence. No one will be victimized for making a complaint.

Definition of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended, humiliated and/or intimidated. It includes situations where a person is asked to engage in sexual activity as a condition of that person’s employment, as well as situations which create an environment which is hostile, intimidating or humiliating for the recipient. Sexual harassment can involve one or more incidents and actions constituting harassment may be physical, verbal and non-verbal.

Anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment, regardless of their sex and of the sex of the harasser. CHAOS recognizes that sexual harassment may also occur between people of the same sex. What matters is that the sexual conduct is unwanted and unwelcome by the person against whom the conduct is directed.

Examples of conduct or behavior which constitute sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:

  • Physical conduct
    • Unwelcome physical contact including patting, pinching, stroking, kissing, hugging, fondling, or inappropriate touching
    • Physical violence, including sexual assault
    • Physical contact, e.g. touching, pinching
    • The use of job-related threats or rewards to solicit sexual favors
  • Verbal conduct
    • Comments on a worker’s appearance, age, private life, etc.
    • Sexual comments, stories, and jokes
    • Sexual advances
    • Repeated and unwanted social invitations for dates or physical intimacy
    • Insults based on the sex of the member
    • Condescending or paternalistic remarks  
    • Sending sexually explicit messages (by phone or by email)
  • Non-verbal conduct
    • Display of sexually explicit or suggestive material
    • Sexually-suggestive gestures
    • Whistling
    • Leering

Definition of Discrimination
Discrimination is any action that discriminates against a person’s identity. Identity can be, but not limited to, age, class, cognitive ability, culture, gender, health status, HIV status, marital status, mental health, physical ability, place of origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sensory ability, and sexuality. Discrimination can be in the form of verbal, non-verbal, or virtual communication.

Complaints Procedures & Sanctions
When an incident is reported, the officers will work with the victim for a suitable resolution. The officers dealing with this matter will be identified to the LEAD center. An anonymous, unbiased, diverse committee of three CHAOS officers will deal with harassment and discrimination accounts, in addition to discussing and deciding on other matters related to interpersonal club relations. This committee shall be called “CHAOS Committee on Member Relations”. If the Committee on Member Relations finds a certain action of a CHAOS member as discriminatory to either race, sex, gender, culture, or other identity as outlined above, the committee shall impose sanctions to this member. Sanction include, and are not limited to:

    1. Termination of membership indefinitely,
    2. Termination of ability to post on the email listserv,
    3. Suspension, temporary or indefinite, from CHAOS events,
    4. Restriction to be active in CHAOS Spaces,
    5. Becoming a Persona non grata, disallowing the member from entering any CHAOS spaces.

The recommendation provided by the committee will be brought forth to the President and Vice President, who will then be responsible for imposing the sanctions. Additional assistance is available via the LEAD Center or Path to Care. Membership can also be terminated for rude behavior or for spamming the listserv.

VII. Amendments

An amendment to this constitution may be presented by any member in the club. It requires a notice of at least one week to the email list, announcing that there will be a vote at the general meeting. This announcement will be made public via our email list, which is received by all members of CHAOS.

This document may be amended by a ⅔ majority vote of the members present and voting at a general meeting.

Alternatively this document can be amended at any time without notice by a majority vote of the officers.

Additional articles and amendments may be included if they are in concurrence with the University of California and A.S.U.C. regulations and policies. All amendments, additions or deletions to this document must be filed with the LEAD Center at lead@berkeley.edu, or LEAD Center at 432 Eshleman Hall.

VIII. Dissolution

If the organization is ASUC or GA Sponsored, all unspent ASUC funds shall return to the ASUC; all Graduate Assembly funds shall return to the Graduate Assembly. If the organization is defunct for five (5) or more years, any privately obtained funds (including any funds left in miscellaneous accounts) shall be donated to the following nonprofit organization: East Bay Regional Parks District.

In the event that the designated nonprofit organization no longer exists or has ceased to be a nonprofit, then the unspent funds shall be donated to the ASUC.

Article IX – ASUC Sponsorship

This organization hereby wishes to seek ASUC sponsorship. This organization adopts and incorporates by reference Schedule A of ASUC Bylaw 2201,  and the same as may be amended from time to time, completely and fully as part of this Constitution. This organization cannot amend this clause unless and until the ASUC has certified that this organization has ceased to be ASUC-sponsored, all ASUC property has been returned to the ASUC, access to all ASUC resources and facilities has been relinquished, and any debts, liabilities, or other responsibilities to the ASUC have been resolved. This organization will continue to be bound by any provisions specified in Schedule A for actions it took while this clause was in effect, even if this clause is amended.