Welcome to Virginia International University’s Pioneer Club. The objective of this club is to involve students in various activities to expand their knowledge about local and international businesses.

Mission Statement
To promote a multicultural exchange of perspectives between international students and American businesses as well as members of local community.

Why Join the Pioneer Club?
While you’ll learn a lot about the business world by attending classes at VIU, it’s not enough. It’s a fast-paced environment where companies change their strategies often. To understand how it works, you have to be out there and get in touch with these businesses. The Pioneer Club will help you do that. Here are few advantages of joining the club:

1. Expand your knowledge by interacting with other students, working with businesses.
2. Grow your network so that it helps you land a better job.
3. Better chances of getting internships, OPT, and CPT.
4. Expose yourselves to business executives, meetings, social events, mentoring, and research in their offices.

Theses are some of the many advantages of joining the club. Moreover, millions of dollars of scholarships and grants have been awarded to those students who are involved in extra curricular activities. But, the main objective of this club is to develop the “We Feeling” among students and exchange ideas.

2007-2008 Executive Board

• Advisor – Roger L. Powell, Chair, Business Programs
• President – Salik Dulal
• Vice – President tba
• Vice-President of Operations - tba
• Vice-President of Public Relations – tba
• Treasurer – tba

Pioneer Club Constitution

Foreword
We, the members of the Pioneer Club, do hereby establish his Constitution, which shall take effect on the 1st day of November in the year 2006 and supersede all previous documents.

 ARTICLE 1 – PURPOSE

Section 1 – Definition

1. The Pioneer Club aims to promote a multicultural exchange of perspectives between international students and American businesses as well as members of local community. The Pioneer Club hopes to create an environment whereby all members of the club exchange ideas and discuss current business issues.

ARTICLE 2 – ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Section 1 – Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Advisor, Vice-President of Operations, Vice-President of Public Relations, and Treasurer.
2. The Executive Committee shall meet on a weekly basis to coordinate the agenda, events, and programs.
3. The Executive Committee shall be charged with continual constitutional review and process amendments as deemed necessary.
4. At least one member of Executive Committee shall attend required Student Senate meetings.

Section 2- Division of Responsibility
1. President
     1. To provide leadership for the Pioneer Club.
     2. To call and preside over all club meetings and executive meetings.
     3. To act as the primary spokesperson for the Pioneer Club in dealing with the faculty, the administration, other student organizations, and local, regional, and national businesses.        

2. Vice-President
     1. To assume the duties of the President in the event of absence and to succeed the office in the event of vacancy.
     2. To coordinate the Pioneer Club Executive Committee elections.
     3. To assist the President, the Advisor, and other Executive Committee contact and maintain a good relationship with businesses.

3. Vice-President of Operations
     1. To arrange transportation for all Pioneer Club events as needed.
     2. To work with Vice-President of Public Relations to assist students in getting OPT, CPT, and Internships.

4. Vice-President of Public Relations
     1. To contact local businesses to sponsor the Pioneer Club for various activities.
     2. To work with Vice-President of Operations to help students in getting OPT, CPT, and Internships.

5. Treasurer
     1. To manage accurate financial records for the Pioneer Club’s budget.
     2. To execute financial transactions upon the consent of the Executive Committee.
     3. To prepare budget with the assistance of the Executive Board to be presented at the Pioneer Club meetings.

6. Advisor
     1. To provide advice and guidance to the Pioneer Club.
     2. To assist contact businesses, other schools’ business clubs, and organizes events.
     3. To attend monthly meeting with the Pioneer Club Executive Committee.

 ARTICLE 3 – PROCEDURES
Section 1 – Membership

1. Membership to the Pioneer Club is open to all full-time Virginia International University students as well as faculty, administrators, and staff members.
2. Active members are defined as those that have attended a majority of the meetings and participated in club events, activities, and programs.

Section 2 - Time and Location of Meetings

1. The Pioneer club shall meet at a location to be decided by the Executive Committee.

 Section 3 – Amendment Procedure

1. Amendments to this constitution may be recommended by any active member of the Pioneer Club.
2. Amendments, which shall be in written form, may be proposed at any regular meeting of the Pioneer Club.
3. No vote shall take place until two weeks have passed since the submission of the Amendment.
4. Approval of the amendment shall require 2/3 vote of active members of the Pioneer Club.

 Section 5 – Presidential Procedures

1. The President of the Pioneer Club shall be able to postpone or delay a meeting of the Pioneer Club. The President shall also be able to call emergency meetings.

ARTICLE 4 - ELECTION
Section 1 – Eligibility

1. All current members are eligible for nomination for candidacy for positions in the Executive Committee.
2. Nominations will be accepted no later than the meeting one week prior to Election Day.

 Section 2 – Election Procedure

1. Elections are held annually on a date, in the month of January, to be determined by the Executive Committee during a regular meeting of the Pioneer Club.
2. Those nominated will prepare a short statement and present to the entire Pioneer Club on the date of the election.
3. Only active and inactive members shall have the ability to vote and each shall be allowed only one vote (all elections shall be conducted on paper ballots)
4. The Vice-President shall, in collaboration with their advisor, count all ballots within forty-eight hours of the election.

 Section 3 – Vacancy of Office

1. In the event of a vacancy within the Executive Committee with less than two months remaining before the month of January, the President of the International Club has the ability to appoint an individual to the position with consent of the Executive Committee.
2. In the event of a vacancy with more than two months remaining before the month of January, then a special election will be held to fill that position. The same election procedures shall be used during this special election.