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IDEA Student Clubs

Sample Club Charter

Every IDEA Club chapter of the IDEA Center will be granted a charter, just to make everything official. Don't let the legal jargon here scare you off--this is just a formality in order to ensure that IDEA Clubs can be legally affiliated with the IDEA Center in the spirit of our mission statement. The sample charter below was used to establish the IDEA Club at UC San Diego, and some details might not apply to all IDEA Clubs. Similar charters are created to suit the needs of any new IDEA Club chapter of the IDEA Center.

Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness (IDEA) Club at UC San Diego

-Chapter Charter-


  1. Name: The name of this organization shall be the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness (IDEA) Club at UC San Diego (herein referred to as the IDEA Club).
  2. Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this organization shall be to:
    1. Promote, as a scientific theory, the idea that life was designed by an intelligent designer,
    2. Educate people about scientific problems with purely natural explanations for the origins and evolution of life,
    3. Challenge the philosophical assumptions of Darwinism, naturalism, and materialism,
    4. Challenge the philosophical assumptions of Darwinism, naturalism, and materialism,
    5. Support academic freedom for legitimate intellectual viewpoints in academia and the culture as a whole;
    6. Facilitate discussion, debate, and dialogue over these issues in a warm, friendly, and open atmosphere where individuals feel free to speak their personal views.
  3. Affiliation: The IDEA Club shall be an official chapter of the Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness (IDEA) Center (herein referred to as the IDEA Center).
    1. Through this affiliation IDEA Club is entitled to all rights and benefits conferred upon them by the IDEA Center as an official IDEA Club chapter of the IDEA Center including:
      1. Recognition by the IDEA Center as an officially affiliated IDEA Club chapter.
      2. Legal rights to use the name "Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness" and "IDEA".
      3. Permission to use materials copyrighted by the IDEA Center and / or provided by the IDEA Center at IDEA Club functions.
      4. The right to promote the IDEA Center and other IDEA Club chapters at their functions.
      5. Entitlement to funding from the IDEA Center as proper need and resources avail.
      6. Advice and help in running the IDEA Club.
    1. The acting president of the IDEA Club shall present the IDEA Center with a report at the end of each academic quater at UCSD detailing the activities of the IDEA Club during that quarter and explaining how those activities do or do not uphold the mission statement of the IDEA Center and the statement of purpose of the IDEA Club.
    2. The IDEA Club shall undergo an annual evaluation at the end of each academic year of UCSD to determine the extent to which the activities of the IDEA Club during the past academic year have or have not upheld the mission statement of the IDEA Center and the statement of purpose of the IDEA Club.
    3. The IDEA Center Board of Directors shall have the authority to revoke affiliation with the IDEA Club, at their discretion, should:
      1. The activities of the IDEA Club leadership at any time violate the mission statement of the IDEA Center or the statement of purpose of the IDEA Club.
      2. The president of the IDEA Club fail to submit a report at the end of each academic quarter at UCI detailing the activities of the IDEA Club during that quarter and explaining how those activities do or do not uphold the mission statement of the IDEA Center and the statement of purpose of the IDEA Club.
      3. The annual review of the IDEA Club conclude that the leadership of the IDEA Club is not upholding or is not prepared to uphold the mission statement of the IDEA Center or the statement of purpose of the IDEA Club.
    4. Should affiliation with the IDEA Center be revoked by either party at any time, the IDEA Club shall no longer have any of the rights and benefits conferred upon as an official IDEA Club chapter of the IDEA Center including:
      1. Recognition by the IDEA Center as an officially affiliated IDEA Club chapter.
      2. Legal rights to use the name "Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness" and "IDEA" for their organization.
      3. Permission to use materials copyrighted and provided by the IDEA Center at IDEA Club functions.
      4. The right to promote the IDEA Center and other IDEA Club chapters at their functions.
      5. Entitlement to any funding from the IDEA Center.
      6. Advice and help in running their organization.
  4. Membership.
    1. Any registered UCSD students, faculty, and staff interested may officially join the organization, although anyone may attend meetings and events hosted by the organization.
    2. Only registered UCSD students may hold office and vote in elections for the organization's officers.
    3. Only the student officers shall spend the organization's funds.
  5. Events, meetings, and promotion of views.
    1. The IDEA Club shall meet no less than once per month during the academic year.
    2. The IDEA Club shall host debates, speakers, and discussion meetings according to the statement of purpose.
    3. When the IDEA Club organization promotes the itself or its views to the campus, it shall abide by all campus policies.
  6. Officers.
    1. The organization shall have 3 officers:
      1. President and Director of Intelligent Design Promotion.
        1. Shall have a good understanding of theories of Intelligent Design, biochemistry, and the theory of evolution.
        2. Shall use and convey this knowledge whenever necessary at events, meetings, and promotions of the organization.
        3. Shall be the official spokesperson for the organization on issues related to theories of Intelligent Design.
        4. Shall publicly adhere to and abide by the statement of purpose of the organization.
        5. Shall present the IDEA Center with a report at the end of each academic quarter at UCSD detailing the activities of the IDEA Club during that quarter and explaining how those activities do or do not uphold the mission statement of the IDEA Center and the statement of purpose of the IDEA Club.
      1. The Director of Philosophical Challenges.
        1. Shall have a good understanding of the scientific method, history of science, the current philosophical state of science, and the assumptions behind naturalism, materialism, and Darwinism.
        2. Shall use and convey this knowledge whenever necessary at events, meetings, and promotions of the organization.
        3. Shall be the official spokesperson for the organization on issues related to philosophy.
        4. Shall publicly adhere to and abide by the statement of purpose of the organization.
      1. Director of Publicity.
        1. Shall coordinate and facilitate the publicity of all events and meetings of the organization.
        2. Shall abide by all UCSD campus policies when promoting the organization or its views.
        3. Shall publicly adhere to and abide by the statement of purpose of the organization.
    1. Failure of any officer to uphold the duties of their office are grounds for removal from office.
    2. An officer may be removed from office by a 2/3 vote of the registered UCSD student members of the organization.
  7. Criteria for holding office.
    1. All individuals holding office must be registered UCSD students and be elected by a majority vote of the registered student members of the organization voting at the elections meeting.
    2. The elections meeting shall take place in May of each year.
    3. In the case of a resignation of an officer from office, a special elections meeting may be held to fill the office until the next May elections meeting.
    4. All officers hold their position until the May elections meeting.
    5. There are no limitations on the number of terms of office an individual may hold.