Revision V
Revision V
Revision V
Section 1. Name This organization recognized before this Constitution shall be known as the Ateneo Student Catholic Action, abbreviated as AtSCA. Section 2. Logo
The fundamental structure of the logo of AtSCA is a cross centered on flames with a vertical shift in the coloration from yellow (top) to orange (bottom). This symbolizes the passion that the men and women of this organization possess, stemming for our Christ-centeredness. The design may vary but must retain its fundamental structure.
light of our Christian faith. AtSCA members regularly visit urban poor communities as their apostolate that seeks to create a formative impact on the members of the organization. The apostolate formation is two-fold: the structured and the unstructured. The structured work of the organization contains projects and activities that would seek to provide more concrete responses to the needs of the community. The unstructured work is the "babad". This is the time when they meet and get to know the people in the community on a more personal basis. These two are pursued with the following objectives: (1) to have a deeper understanding of the situation of the marginalized in the community; (2) for each AtSCAn to be enlightened of the significance of being and relating with the marginalized; and (3) to identify and concretize what response AtSCA will undertake given the understanding of the community. Combined with prayer and a deep sense of social awareness, the apostolate formation achieves a balanced and total formation of the members. INTEGRATION Section 4. Education Program The education program seeks to synthesize an AtSCAns varying experiences in the organizations three pillars of formation. It seeks to provide a framework where a members experiences in prayer, apostolate work, and social awareness activities can fall into place. The program is composed of the education flow, education sessions, exposure trips, and other venues in which the integration of the three pillars is being upheld.
Business Moderator
President Coordinators
Spiritual Moderator
Cell Advisers
Committee Heads
Section 3. With the exception of the Coordinating Officers, AtSCA members are divided into cells, which are groups named after the respective community apostolate to which they are assigned. Each cell has regular prayer sessions, community work, and other cell activities. Each cell has a minimum of eight (8) members and is recommended to have at
most twenty (20) members. However, in the event of a planned expansion, the number of members is left to the discretion of the executive board. Every cell is headed by a cell leader and an assistant cell leader, under the guidance of a cell adviser. Section4. AtSCAns are also divided into committees headed by committee heads and deputies. Each committee must have the minimum of eight members. The committee head also functions as the assistant cell leader of his/her respective cell. With the exception of the President, the Coordinating Officers also function as committee heads without the role of being an assistant cell leader.
Article V: Membership
Section 1. Recruitment (a) The recruitment of new members aims to ensure the continuity of AtSCA. It is hoped that the most qualified applicants are chosen to carry on the AtSCA ministry. (b) The procedure for recruitment involves filling out an application form, an interview by two EB members (or in case when EB members are unavailable, by one EB and one inducted member) where they explain the Three Pillars of Formation, the different committees and committee projects, and the submission of an essay. The EB then convenes to deliberate on the choice of new members from the current batch of applicants and drafts them into particular cells. (c) The application form should include, but is not limited, to the following: a. Name b. Nickname c. Signature d. Year and Course e. ID Number f. Gender g. Address (Provincial and Metro Manila) h. Contact details (email address and contact number) i. Birthday j. Previous School k. Skills and talents l. Other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (high school and college) (d) The Interview may vary depending on the needs and discretion of the current EB, but should include the following: a. Reason for joining AtSCA b. Views and experience regarding the Three Pillars of Formation c. Organization and Community d. Personal Concerns e. Parents/Family: Will you be allowed to join AtSCA? f. Interviewer may also ask other questions he/she thinks will be necessary. (e) The application essay, which answers a question to be decided on by the EB of that year, serves as the final affirmation of the applicant's willingness to pursue his/her application. It also provides an additional basis by which the qualifications of the candidate can be evaluated. (f) The selection of new members is based on the following criteria: a. He/she should have leadership qualities and ideals of service. b. It is desirable that he/she has a certain amount of exposure. His/her outlook on his/her experiences should be the same as that of AtSCA or at least open to development. c. He/she should be willing to help AtSCA with its activities. d. Other elements in the criteria may be changed as the EB sees fit. e. Recruitment is usually done at the start of the school year. Section 2. Upon acceptance into the organization, a member has the following responsibilities: (a) To fulfill the requirements of the three pillars of formation and the education program. (b) To attend and participate in cell meetings, cell activities, community building activities and other general activities. (c) To actively promote to the larger community the AtSCA advocacy. (d) To be aware of and abide by the rules of the Constitution. (e) To have an Individual Consultation (IC) with an inducted member once per semester. All these responsibilities are meant towards discerning the possibility of induction. Section 3. Regular Member Status. Once an applicant is accepted into the organization, he/she is granted regular member status. Within the duration of six months of regular membership, he/she is expected to discern for induction. A members regular status may be deliberated on if (a) after a year, he/she fails to fulfill his/her responsibilities to the organization, or (b) after two years, he/she is still not inducted.
Section 3. Leave of Absence (LOA). A leave of absence is taken only for extreme cases (e.g. serious illness, difficulty with academics, Junior Term Abroad). If for some reason, a member decides to take a leave of absence, he/she is required to submit a formal appeal to the EB through his/her respective cell leader. The EB then discusses and recommends the validity of the LOA request. When an EB member is granted a leave of absence, he/she should recommend a qualified member to fill in for the vacated position until such time when the EB member is ready to carry on with his/her obligations. A leave of absence may not exceed a total of two (2) semesters, after which he/she will be subject to deliberation. Section 4. Probationary Status. The probationary status is given to a non-inducted member when he/she does not fulfill his/her duties as a member. This status is given for border-line dismissal cases. When a member is placed under probation, he/she will be informed that he/she is required to participate in the different organizational activities such as Prayer Sessions, Community Tutorials and different Social Awareness activities and that he/she will be evaluated using a criteria based on his/her participation during the succeeding formation seminar. The probationary status will only be lifted when the EB finds an improvement in the members performance from the previous formation seminar. In the event that the member is found to be delinquent in fulfilling his/her responsibilities as a regular member, he/she is given a probationary status. Otherwise, the regular membership is maintained. Section 5. Induction. The induction status is granted to members who have fulfilled qualifications stipulated at Article VII, Section 2. Section 6. Dismissal. (a) Deliberation for non-inducted members is done on a yearly basis. If a cell leader recommends the dismissal of one of his/her members, the EB deliberates on the case. The regular status lasts for two years after the member's admission. If for some reason, a member is still not inducted after that period, the EB automatically conducts a deliberation on the case based on: a. Failure to fulfill duties and responsibilities b. Consultation with the cell leaders c. Consultation with the adviser/s d. Recommendation of the cell leader and assistant cell leader
Section 2. For a member to become a an inducted member of AtSCA, he/she must be a member for at least six (6) months, during which he/she is expected to fulfill his/her responsibilities to the organization, and in addition: (a) Attend the Induction Discernment Talk; (b) Have ICs and encourage having consultations with the Executive Board and cell advisers; (c) Consultation with committee heads The EB then deliberates on the candidate based on: (d) The candidate's participation since his/her admission (e) Individual consultation with the candidate (f) Consultation with the cell adviser/s (g) Recommendation of the cell leader (h) Recommendation of the assistant cell leader (i) Consultation with Committee Officer Section 3. An inducted member has the following responsibilities: (a) To vote during the Executive Board elections (b) To vote on Constitutional Amendments (c) To participate in any major deliberations where inducted members are called to participate (d) To assist the EB in facilitating the formation of members. Section 4. In the event that the inducted member fails to fulfill certain responsibilities, he/she will be relieved temporarily of his/her privileges (Article Section 3), after being deliberated upon by the Executive Board during the Midyear or Yearend Membership Deliberations.
Heads the education committee by coordinating the different talks and colloquia pertaining to the education program with the committee members (b) Attends the activities and meeting of his/her respective cell Section 5. The Social Awareness Officer (a) Creates opportunities for members to reflect on and deepen their knowledge on social realities (b) Primary spokesperson of the organization for social advocacies (c) Takes charge in the dissemination of information pertaining to current events (d) Acts as the intermediary of the organization to the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan and other external organizations (e) Heads the Social Awareness Committee (f) Attends the activities and meeting of his/her respective cell Section 6. The Secretary-General. (a) Keeps and organizes all the minutes, records and files of the Executive Board, the different cells, as well as data from general assemblies, seminars and other related activities (b) Maintains all databases for the organizations (c) Responsible for disseminating the announcements, promotional materials, newsletters and directory pertaining to the different activities of the organization (d) Heads the secretariat committee (e) Attends the activities and meeting of his/her respective cell Section 7. The Finance Officer. (a) Serves as the intermediary between the Office of Student Activities and the organization regarding funds a. Takes charge of the disbursement of funds b. Prepares the semester budget (projected expenses) and financial reports c. Archives the financial documents of the organization (b) Takes charge of the organizations funds a. Coordinates with the cell leaders regarding cell funds b. Coordinates with the other committee heads in organizing fund-raising activities (i.e., concerts, food sales, etc.) (c) Heads the Finance Committee a. Coordinates with its committee members by forming a think-tank which will concern itself with accumulating funds for the organization (d) Attends the activities and meeting of his/her respective cell Section 8. Spirituality Officer. (a) Promotes the spiritual formation of the members of the organization according to the following themes: a. The centrality of the Eucharist in the Christian Life b. The rootedness in Ignatian Spirituality c. The pursuit of justice as integral to the Christian vocation d. Solidarity with marginalized in the light of Christs ministry (b) Acts as an intermediary between Campus Ministry Office and the Society of Jesus (c) Attends the activities and meeting of his/her respective cell Section 9. The Cell Leaders. (a) Oversees the formation his or her respective constituents in the cell a. Acts as the intermediary between the Executive Board and the cell members b. Establishes and maintains the link between the community apostolate and the cell members throughout the year c. Presides over the cell meetings and other related activities d. Updates the Community Apostolate Coordinator regarding their respective communities e. Updates the Membership Coordinator regarding their respective members f. Informs and reminds his or her members of the retention guidelines of the organization g. Facilitates regular prayer sessions h. To be available for Individual Consultations (IC) when deemed necessary i. Represents his or her members during deliberations For responsibilities and functions pertaining to meetings and other related activities, please refer to the Code of Internal Procedures
c.
Each committee is composed of a committee head, a deputy and representatives from each cell who carry out the duties of that committee. Officers and committees may devolve functions as necessary and as seen fit. Ad hoc committees may be organized by the EB as seen fit (e.g. Calendaring Committee). Section 1.Secretariat Committee. (a) Is headed by the Secretary-General (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells. (c) Aids the Secretary-General in his/her duties and responsibilities (d) Is in-charge of the AtSCA Kit, TalaAtSCAhan Issues, AtSCA Directory and Promotional Materials. Section 2. Spirituality Committee. (a) Is headed by the Spirituality Officer (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells (c) Assists the Spirituality Officer in his/her duties and responsibilities (d) Is in charge of Orientation Seminar Mass, Prayer Day, Ignatian Silent Retreat, Community Mass and Caroling. Section 3.Education Committee. (a) Is headed by the Education Officer (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells (c) Aids the Education Officer in his/her duties and responsibilities. (d) Is in charge of the Ed Flow, Education Sessions and Exposure Trips Section 4. Membership Committee. (a) Is headed by the Membership Coordinator (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells (c) Aids the Membership Coordinator in his/her duties and responsibilities. (d) Is in charge of Recruitment Week and aids in non-confidential aspects of Induction and Leadership Discernment, General Assemblies, Orientation Seminar, Tambay Week, AtSCA night and Christmas Party. Section 5.Community Apostolate Committee. (a) Is headed by the Community Apostolate Coordinator (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells (c) Aids the Community Apostolate Coordinator in his/her duties and responsibilities. (d) Is in charge of Community Orientation, Community Overnight and Personality Enhancement Program Section 6.Finance Committee. (a) Is headed by the Finance Officer (b) Is composed of the representatives from the different cells (c) Aids the Finance Officer in his/her duties and responsibilities (d) Is in-charge of fund-raising activities Section 7.Social Awareness Committee. (a) Is headed by the Social Awareness Officer (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells (c) Aids the Social Awareness Officer in his/her duties and responsibilities (d) Is in charge of Usapang Bayan, National Situationer, State of the Poor Address, Exposure Trip and other uncalendared activities Section 8. Ad Hoc Committee. Depending on the prerogative of the Executive Board, an Ad Hoc Committee may be formed with the following responsibilities: (a) Is headed by an Executive Board member under the supervision of the President (b) Is composed of representatives from the different cells and committees which are deliberated upon by the Executive Board (c) Aids the supervising officer with his/her duties and responsibilities
Article X: Deputyship
Section 1. A deputy is a member or an inducted member that is not part of the Executive Board with the additional responsibilities to those stated in Article IX Section 3 or Article XV Section 3: (a) To assist in the planning and execution of committee activities (b) To fulfill the specific committee responsibilities given by the committee head of a particular school year.
Section 2. Before deliberations. The Executive Board must accomplish the following: (a) Set final dates for the deadline of the application forms and interview (b) Present and assess the qualities and roles needed for each committee and incorporate these to the interview questions and application form (c) Send out promotions for the application (d) Check, review and discern on submitted application forms as soon as possible (e) The committee head will interview applicants with another Executive Board member to handle note-taking. (f) In the event that the applicant is not physically present, the committee head may utilize other means of communication. During deliberations. A quorum (2/3+1 of the total number of the EB) must be physically present. The following flow will be followed: (a) The Committee Head will present the list of applicants alphabetically and ranking them (b) The committee head will also present the reason for the order. (c) Deliberations will take place (d) The person ranked highest after deliberations will be the chosen by the committee head as the deputy. Section 3. The deputy is chosen at the start of the year for a one-semester term and will be evaluated during the MidSemester Deputy Deliberations. The committee head is given the power to choose whether or not to retain the deputy. In the event that the deputy chooses not to continue his/her term for the next semester, a deputy application period will commence immediately after the Mid-Semester Evaluation Seminar.
Section 1. His/her qualifications, duties and relevant provisions are the same as those of the moderators except that he/she is assigned to a particular cell. However, it is necessary that he/she be a college faculty member, a faculty member of the Loyola School of Theology, or a graduate student of the Ateneo and that he/she be around the campus and available most of his/her time.
(d) The EB members are required to attend the scheduled meetings. Occurrences of special cases such as, but not limited to, health problems, important family affairs, heavy academic workload, fortuitous situations, are valid excuses for absence. Section 2. Deliberations The Executive Board discusses membership matters in the context of deliberations. It includes Applications, Membership Status, Induction, Appeals, Deputy and Executive Board Deliberations. For a deliberation to be considered valid, 2/3 + 1 of the EB must be physically present. (a) Application Deliberations happens when screening applicants to the organization. (b) Membership Status Deliberations are conducted after the first semester (during the Mid-Year Planning and Evaluation Seminar), and at the end of the year (during the Evaluation Seminar). a. For Mid-Year membership deliberations, only old members recommended by the cell leaders may be brought up for deliberations. b. For End of the Year membership deliberations, both old and new members recommended by the cell leaders may be brought up for deliberations. It is also on the End of Year deliberations that those subject to automatic deliberations (non-inducted for 2 years, as provided in Article V, Section 3 ), will be discussed. c. For both deliberations, cases of probation from previous deliberations should be brought up and settled. (c) Induction Deliberations are conducted during Induction Season after the deadline of all Induction requirements, e.g. Induction essay, interview, etc. (d) Appeals Deliberation occurs for: a. Applicants who were not accepted initially into the organization during the Application Deliberations b. Those that were granted a dismissal status during the Membership Deliberations c. Those who were not accepted for Induction during the Induction Deliberations (e) Deputy Deliberations occur at the start of the year when the committee heads screen the deputy applicants for the time period specified by the EB of that year. (f) Executive Board Deliberations occur after the election process where the newly elected officers choose among themselves the positions for that year. With the exception of the Deputy and Executive Board Deliberations which are facilitated by the President, all deliberations are facilitated by the Membership Coordinator. In the event that the Membership Coordinator is absent, the President will assume the role. In the absence of both, the deliberations will not push through.