(To be shouted tunelessly in unison – it’s not a reading)

Article 0: The Purpose of the Band

The Princeton University Band exists primarily for the enjoyment of its members and for the entertainment of the University community.

Article I: Band Members

Section 1

The Princeton University Band (PUB) consists of voting members and participating members
Participating membership in the PUB:
1. shall be automatically granted to any currently enrolled Princeton University students (graduate or undergraduate) who requests it from an officer of the PUB.
2. shall not be restricted on the basis of musical ability. There shall be no auditions or other tests of ability for membership.
3. is retained by alumni of the PUB upon their graduation from the University.
4. shall continue indefinitely and cannot be revoked or annulled except by University ruling
5. may be conferred upon any individual at the discretion of the President.
Voting membership in the PUB:
1. shall be granted to currently-enrolled Princeton University students, who have met the following requirements during the relevant period:
  1. Beginning from the first day of class of the Fall semester and ending the last day of class prior to the beginning of Fall Break, the voting members shall be those members who have participated in at least one half of announced gigs from the end of Spring break through the day in question.
  2. Beginning from the first day of Fall Break and ending the day prior to the first day of instruction for the Spring semester, the voting members shall be those members who have participated in at least one half of announced gigs starting from the first day of the second week of instruction of the Fall semester through the day in question.
  3. Beginning from the first day of class of the Spring semester and ending the last day of class prior to the beginning of Spring Break, the voting members shall be those members who have participated in at least one half of announced gigs from the end of Fall break through the day in question.
  4. Beginning from the first day of Spring Break and ending the day prior to the first day of instruction for the Fall semester, the voting members shall be those members who have participated in at least one half of announced gigs starting from the first day of instruction of the Spring semester through the day in question.
  5. No rehearsal, field rehearsal, social event, or other band function that does not involve public performance shall be considered a gig for the purpose of this section. *add same quorum reasoning
2. may be granted, effective for one day, to any participating member who is a currently-enrolled student, subject to a two-thirds majority of present voting members by a closed vote. Granting voting membership requires a quorum; quorum shall be achieved if either at least one-third of the voting membership or at least three-quarters of the presently-elected Officers are present.
3. shall continue as long as the member meets the attendance requirements and cannot be otherwise revoked or annulled except as described in Article I, Section 1(e) or by University ruling.
All voting and participating members are welcome at any Band event, but the officers may utilize publicized criteria for allocating limited spots at events when resources or externally imposed constraints necessitate doing so. No enrolled student shall be turned away from such an event in favor of a non-student member.
Any student who is expelled, suspended, or withdraws from the University automatically forfeits their voting or participating membership in the PUB. If such a person is an Officer of the PUB, they shall automatically forfeit their office as well. Students who voluntarily take time off from Princeton may retain participating membership. However, if such a person is an Officer of the PUB, they shall automatically forfeit their office due to University rules and regulations.

Article II: Band Officers

Section 1

The officers of the PUB shall be: one President, one Drum Major, one Head Manager, one Student Conductor, one Treasurer, four Drillmasters, two Librarians, one Alumni Coordinator, and one Diversity Equity and Inclusion Coordinator.
Princeton University graduate student voting members may not serve as President, Drum Major, or Treasurer of the PUB. All other officer positions may be held by any student voting member. Graduate students may hold up to three full term officer positions while enrolled as a graduate student.
No person may hold any office for more than one term. Any person who has held an office for fewer than twelve weeks while school is in session is eligible to hold that office again.
No person may hold more than one office at the same time.
To declare candidacy for the Presidency, a voting member must be nominated as described in Section 2(b). To declare candidacy for any other office, an interested member must declare their candidacy to the sitting President.
Officers shall be elected at a presidential election (as described in Article II, Section 2 (c)) and at Band Council (as described in Article II, Section 3) annually.
Any Princeton University Voting Member who wishes to be a candidate for multiple officer positions in the PUB must submit a ranking of the officer positions for which they are a candidate to the sitting President no later than the deadline set and announced by the sitting President at least one week in advance. A ranking of “1” will denote the officer position that is the candidate’s first choice. A ranking of “2” will denote the officer position that is the candidate’s second choice, and so on and so forth. In the event that the candidate is elected to multiple offices, they shall assume the office they have ranked highest, and other offices shall be filled by their respective runners-up.
Officers shall take office after the end of the football season at the annual banquet following their election. They shall serve until the installation of new officers at the end of the following football season.
In the event that two rounds of elections have been held and a vacant office cannot be filled by a non-senior voting member, the acting President may appoint a senior member (including a member who has previously held the vacant office) or a graduate student member that has held 3 offices previously to hold the vacant office, unless the office is that of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator. If a senior member is chosen and graduates before the end of their tenure, a special election may be held within the first two weeks of the fall semester to fill the position until the next round of elections. A member who holds the office during the period of time between two weeks into the semester and elections will have been in the office fewer than twelve weeks, and will thus be eligible to run for the same office during subsequent elections. If the position of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator is vacant after two rounds of elections, a special election may be held by the President where other officers may run for the position of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator without forfeiting their present office. During any period in which the position of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator is vacant, the Drum Major may appoint another eligible member to the office in the interim, who may be another officer, but not the President or the Drum Major.
If an officer position requires two semesters of voting membership for eligibility, but no candidates meeting this requirement present themselves, the President may waive this requirement.

Section 2 (The President)

The President must have served as an undergraduate voting member (Article 2, Section 1(b)) for at least one fall and at least one spring semester.
Nominations for President shall be made at least one week in advance of the election, by means of a nomination and a second by voting members of the Band. The current President shall publicize these nominations at least one week in advance of the election.
The President shall be elected at a meeting which shall take place annually within two weeks of the end of football season by a majority vote of those Voting Members of the PUB present at the meeting. The current President shall announce the time and place of this meeting to the membership of the band at least two weeks in advance of the election.
If the President intends to resign, they shall tender a resignation in writing to the Drum Major. This resignation shall become effective immediately when received by the Drum Major.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, a new President shall be elected within two weeks by seconded nominations from and majority vote of those current Voting Members of the PUB present at a publicly-announced open meeting. The meeting shall be announced at least one week in advance.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Drum Major shall serve as President until the election of a new President as described in Article II, Section 2(e) of this Constitution.
The President shall be the sole executive officer of the PUB.
1. The President shall have the power to direct and coordinate the activities of the other officers of the PUB.
2. The President shall have the power to represent the PUB to outside organizations and to the University administration in all matters pertaining to Band functions.
3. The President shall have the power to call all meetings of the Band and to appoint any necessary committees.
4. The President shall have the power to veto expenditures of PUB funds and, in case of emergency or when the Treasurer is unavailable, to approve expenditures.
5. Any Presidential executive decision shall be reviewed by the voting membership if so requested by at least three voting members. A decision of the President may be overruled by a two-thirds vote of voting members who are present at a vote that has been publicly announced at least one week in advance or by a two-thirds vote of the other officers at any time.
6. Neither the President nor any other officer may publish official communications that contain policy positions or express official viewpoints without first submitting the exact text of the communication to the PUB. At the request of three voting members, the communication shall be discussed at a duly publicized open meeting and may be published with the consent of one-half of voting members present at the meeting. If no meeting is requested within twenty-four hours after the communication has been submitted to the PUB, the communication may be published but only with the explicit written approval of one-half of the officer corps.
7. The President must hold town hall meetings at least twice in the spring semester and twice in the fall semester. A town hall meeting must be announced at least a week in advance and will be open to all participating members. All members who are at this meeting will have the opportunity to voice concerns and make suggestions regarding the Band and its officers. The President must end all town hall meetings by exclaiming, “Let’s go band team!”

Section 3 (Band Elections)

The Band Council shall be held within two weeks of the end of football season for the purpose of electing non-presidential officers as described in Article II, Section 1(f), conferring awards, and conducting other business as necessary.
Any voting member is eligible to attend Band Council.
Attendance of Band Council:
1. Councilors must be physically or virtually present for the duration of officer elections. In the event of an early exit from Band Council, their ballot will be deemed an accepted absentee ballot.
2. Eligible voting members may request an absentee ballot for all elections at Band Council. An absentee ballot can be granted to any otherwise eligible voting member who cannot attend Band Council.
The Band Council shall have the authority to settle any questions of interpretation with respect to this Constitution.
Events Prior to Band Council:
1. The President will release candidate statement questions to be answered by band members seeking to run for officer positions.
2. The President will release the full submitted Candidate Statements for all positions at least one week in advance of band council.
3. Concurrent with the release of the candidate statements, the President will set up an online forum space which is accessible to all members of the band (e.g., a discord channel, a slack channel) set aside for discussion for all of the officer positions.
4. This forum will be a space for members of the band to ask questions of the candidates and bring up any concerns they have. Candidates can use this space to introduce themselves and answer questions. The space can also be used for general discussion about the positions and elections.
5. For Drill Master and Student Conductor only: the current office holder(s) can outline any pertinent information from DMC and SC auditions in the forum.
6. Questions or concerns may be sent anonymously to the channel. Anonymous questions/concerns will be approved for viewing by a majority vote of the subset of President, Drum Major, Head Manager, Treasurer, and DEIC who are not running for that office. The DEIC can veto a passed question should they deem it inappropriate for posting. Questions shall be held to the same standard of questions asked at Bouncil, outlined in II.3(g)(i): the following items should not be considered throughout: issues of physical or mental health unless directly relevant, other positions candidates may be running for or their preferences between said positions, concerns for a candidate’s own personal well-being if they do or do not attain the position they are running for, irrelevant personal attacks against candidates or other counsellors, and interpersonal relationships between candidates unless it will prevent them from doing their jobs.
7. The forum space will be open for band members to ask questions until 4:20pm two days prior to Band Council. It will be open for candidates to respond to the questions until 6:09pm one day prior to Band Council, and then be closed to further additions and changes.
On the day of Band Council:
1. Elections for the positions of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, Alumni Coordinator, Librarian, Drill Master, Student Conductor, Head Manager, and Treasurer will be held using the following structure.
  1. Constitution Statement: The Chair will read the relevant statements from the constitution. These statements will include the responsibilities of the office as set forth in the constitution and election procedures.
  2. Officer Statements: The current office holder(s) will have an opportunity to express their view of the office and what it entails. The current office holder should not mention candidates for the office during this statement. There will be 2 minutes per current officer.
  3. Voting: Voting will be closed ballot. For all single-winner elections, winners will be tabulated using a ranked choice system. See Article II, Section 3(f)(iii)(2) for procedure on single-winner election voting. For multiple-winner elections, winners will be tabulated using a single transferable vote system with the Droop quota.
2. Elections for Band President and Drum Major will be structured as follows. The election for President will precede the Drum Major election. These elections will be otherwise known as PQADE (Presidential Question Answer Discussion Election) and DQADE (Drum Major Question Answer Discussion Election)
  1. Each candidate may give a speech promoting their candidacy, after which each candidate will be given time to answer questions from voting members. After this time period they may make a closing statement. During this section, other candidates for the same office will not be present in the room.
    1. Questions or concerns from band members who wish to remain anonymous may be read by the Chair during this section. Anonymous questions/concerns will be approved by a majority vote of the subset of President, Drum Major, Head Manager, Treasurer, and Student Conductor who are not running for the office in question.
  2. After all candidates for a position have spoken and answered questions, all candidates will return to the room for discussion, during which band members may ask clarifying/follow up questions or respond to candidate answers.
  3. All candidates will be given equal time for their speeches, discussion periods, and closing statements.
  4. After discussion is concluded, the Band will proceed to closed-ballot ranked choice voting. See Article II, Section 3(f)(iii)(2) for procedure on single-winner election voting.
  5. Anyone not physically or virtually present at PQADE cannot vote for the presidency, and adjacently anyone not physically or virtually present at DQADE cannot vote for drum major.
3. Voting System
  1. Tiebreaking: the President will, before they begin tabulating votes, cast a secret ballot where they rank all candidates for each office in question. The President will also vote in multiple-winner elections on this ballot but will rank every single candidate for every election, including multiple-winner elections. In the event of a tie unbreakable by ranked-choice re-tabulation, whoever the President ranked highest in their tie-breaking secret ballot will be the winner. The President will give their ballot to the highest-ranking officer in the band who is not running for any position before any votes are counted. This officer will confirm the tie-breaking results if it is necessary.
  2. Voting: The single-winner system will function thus: each voter will rank all candidates for an office. The candidate with the fewest first-choice votes will be eliminated, and the second-choice votes of their first-choice-rank ballots counted as first-choice votes for the next candidate. This will be repeated until one candidate has a majority of first-choice votes, including moving to counting third-place, fourth-place, votes and so on. The candidate with the majority of first-choice votes will be the winner. Ranks for follow-up candidates will be tabulated in the event that the winner does not take the position; this will be done by counting the next-choice votes of the winner’s first-choice ballots as first-choice votes for the runners up until all ranks (second, third, etc.) are decided. (i.e., redo the process but eliminate the winner from all ballots, shifting ranks below the winner up on each ballot by 1.)
  3. Voting eligibility is not affected by candidacy.
Duties of the Chair:
1. It is the responsibility of the Chair to remain neutral during Band Council proceedings, as well as to ensure that the conversation remains on topic and relevant. These criteria should be used when considering the approval of anonymous statements. As such, it will be the responsibility of the Chair to publicize prior to Band Council that the following items should not be considered throughout the proceedings of band council: issues of physical or mental health unless directly relevant, other positions candidates may be running for or their preferences between said positions, concerns for a candidate’s own personal well-being if they do or do not attain the position they are running for, irrelevant personal attacks against candidates or other counsellors, and interpersonal relationships between candidates unless it will prevent them from doing their jobs.

Section 𝜋 (Officer leaves)

Prior to Band Council, an officer candidate in great distress (due to circumstances involving mental health, family emergency, or other unexpected/uncontrollable issues) can approach the President to request a leave of officership upon election (if they are elected into a position).
1. Action must be taken in a setting where the President is in attendance.
  1. Another officer of the candidate’s choice may be in attendance as a figure of comfort or support, but this is entirely optional.
  2. This request will take place in an environment which will allow the distressed officer candidate to remain anonymous to the all band members not in attendance at this meeting.
2. Leave will last up to 2 weeks and can be ended at any time.
  1. The current officer in this position will continue acting in their current position for this period of time. If they are unable to fulfill this time commitment for any reason, an interim officer can be appointed by the President
3. The band will not be informed of this officer candidate’s decision to take leave until after band council had concluded and all officers have been elected
At any point throughout the year, a distressed officer (due to circumstances involving mental health, family emergency, or other unexpected/uncontrollable issues) can approach the President to request a temporary leave of officership
1. Leave will last up to 2 weeks and can be ended at any time, depending on when the officer has informed the President that they are no longer in distress OR the 2-week temporary leave has come to an end.
2. During this time, an interim officer will be appointed by the President to fulfill the responsibilities of the officer on leave.
3. If after 2 weeks, the officer believes they are still unable to adequately fulfill the responsibilities of their officer position because of great distress (due to circumstances involving mental health, family emergency, or other unexpected/uncontrollable issues), the officer can approach the President and discuss the possibility of stepping down from their position.
4. This amendment can be utilized for a total of 2 weeks by any acting officer. This time can be split up throughout the office tenure, with any time taken off amounting to less than 2 weeks.

Section 4 (The Drum Major)

The Drum Major shall be elected from undergraduates who have served as a voting member (Article 2, Section 1(b)) for at least one fall and at least one spring semester.
The Drum Major shall be elected by an instant runoff vote of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
The Drum Major shall be responsible for the planning, coordinating, and executing of all band performances.
The Drum Major shall have control of the Band as a marching unit and shall be responsible for the writing and execution of all half-time shows.
The Drum Major shall be responsible for the selection of the half-time announcer from the membership of the PUB.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Drum Major shall serve as interim President as directed in Article II, Section 2(f) of this Constitution.

Section 5 (The Head Manager)

The Head Manager shall be elected from those who have served as a voting member (Article 2, Section 1(b)) for at least one fall and at least one spring semester.
The Head Manager shall be elected by an instant runoff vote of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
The Head Manager shall be responsible for planning and coordinating PUB trips, including making arrangements for travel, meals, and lodging. The Head Manager shall also make arrangements for hosting members of visiting bands.
The Head Manager shall have the responsibility for the care and distribution of all uniforms.

Section 6 (The Treasurer)

The Treasurer shall be elected from the undergraduate Voting Members of the PUB (Article 2, Section 1(b)).
The Treasurer shall be elected by an instant runoff vote of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all financial matters involving the PUB. This record shall be open to inspection by any member of the PUB or officer of the Friends of Tiger Band (FOTB) upon request.
All expenditures of PUB funds must be approved by the Treasurer. The treasurer shall make every effort to notify the President of such approval so that the President may veto the expenditure.

Section 7 (The Student Conductor)

The Student Conductor shall be elected from those who have served as a voting member (Article 2, Section 1(b)) for at least one fall and at least one spring semester.
The Student Conductor shall be elected by an instant runoff vote of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
To be eligible to be elected Student Conductor, candidates must audition at an open rehearsal of the PUB.
The Student Conductor shall be responsible for the musical performance of the Band.
In the case of absence of the Student Conductor from a Band function, a substitute conductor shall be named by the Student Conductor and President ahead of time. If the Student Conductor becomes unavailable without warning and cannot contribute to the selection of a substitute conductor, the substitute conductor shall be named by the Drum Major and President.

Section 8 (The Drillmasters)

The Drillmasters shall be elected from the Voting Members of the PUB (Article 2, Section 1(b)).
The Drillmasters shall be elected by single transferable vote using the Droop quota of Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
Drillmasters shall act in the general capacity of assistants to the other officers.
Drillmasters shall supervise attendance at marching and music rehearsals, shall be responsible for granting excuses for absence from rehearsals or performances, and shall supervise formations of the Marching Band in cooperation with the Drum Major.
Drillmasters shall have the responsibility for the care and transportation of all instruments and equipment owned by the PUB.

Section 9 (The Librarians)

The Librarians shall be elected from the Voting Members of the PUB (Article 2, Section 1(b)).
The Librarians shall be elected by single transferable vote using the Droop quota of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
The Librarians shall be responsible for the storage, collection, distribution, and maintenance of all music owned by the PUB.
The Librarians shall be responsible for procuring music as the Student Conductor or Drum Major shall direct

Section 10 (The Alumni Coordinator)

The Alumni Coordinator shall be elected from the Voting Members of the PUB (Article 2, Section 1(b)).
The Alumni Coordinator shall be elected by an instant runoff vote of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
The Alumni Coordinator shall be responsible for organizing Band Reunions.
The Alumni Coordinator shall make arrangements for visiting Band alumni at Band events.
The Alumni Coordinator shall be responsible for the curation and maintenance of the Band’s social media.
the Penn Band.
The Alumni Coordinator shall serve as Historian and Archivist to the Band.
The Alumni Coordinator shall serve as a general assistant and adviser to the other officers at their request.

Section 11 (The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator)

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator shall be elected from the Voting Members of the PUB (Article 2, Section 1(b)).
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator shall be elected by an instant runoff vote of the Band Council at a meeting within two weeks of the end of the football season.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator must arrange for at least one (1) reflection session each semester.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator must arrange for at least one (1) workshop each semester.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator must familiarize themselves with the resources available to students through the university and inform members of them upon request.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator shall serve as the designated officer for concerns related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or the conduct of other officers.
The Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator shall serve as a general advisor to the President on issues related to Diversity Equity, and Inclusion.
This section of the constitution shall be discussed, revised, and formally voted on at a town hall in Fall semester 2025 to amend and re-ratify the position and responsibilities of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator.

Section 12 (Impeachment)

An officer shall be subject to impeachment for negligence, misconduct, or incompetence at any time by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership of the PUB.
A motion and a second from any two voting members are sufficient to bring about such a vote.
The time and location of the vote shall be publicized at least two weeks in advance by the President, or the Drum Major in the event the President is being impeached.
The sitting President, or the Drum Major in the event the President is being impeached, shall preside over impeachment proceedings.
Any officer subject to impeachment proceedings has the right to present a defense, confront opposing witnesses, examine all evidence, and call for members to speak on their behalf.

Section 13 (Resignation and vacancies)

Any officer except the President who intends to resign shall tender their resignation in writing to the President. Resignations shall become effective immediately when received by the President.
Following the resignation or impeachment of an officer who is not the President, the President may appoint an interim officer who will serve until such a time that an election may be scheduled to fill the vacancy.
The election shall occur between one and four weeks after the vacancy arises, not including weeks during which Princeton is not in session.
The the vacancy shall be filled by simple run-off voting
Presidential resignations and vacancies shall follow the procedures described in Article II, Section 2 (d-f)
After the resignation or impeachment of a DM, Librarian, or AC after the first football game of their term, if by one week following the announcement of the vacancy fewer than two candidates have presented themselves, the President may opt to forego holding a special election and can instead appoint a replacement, subject to two-thirds approval of the officer corps.

Article III: Ivy Bands

Section 1

a. The President, Drum Major, and Head Manager shall represent the PUB at Ivy Bands.

Section 2

a. The President, Drum Major, and Head Manager may sign inter-band agreements only in order to provide for improved interactions between the PUB and other Ivy League bands or administrations. Inter-band agreements may not require the PUB to change its internal practices or violate any provision of this constitution. The officers may not sign any public statement at Ivy Bands without the approval of two-thirds of the officer corps or one-half of the voting members present at a meeting scheduled with one week’s advance notice.

Section 3

a. Any agreement signed by the officers at Ivy Bands can be nullified by two-thirds of the officers not present at Ivy Bands or by a majority of voting members present at a meeting publicly announced at least one week in advance. The President shall schedule the meeting at the request of three voting members.

Article IV: Amendments

Section 1

a. Amendments to the Band Constitution may be proposed by a petition presented by any member of the PUB. The petition must be delivered in writing to the President.

Section 2

Once duly proposed, amendments to the Band Constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the voting members of the PUB present at a publicly-announced open meeting. A quorum shall be achieved if either at least one-third of the voting membership or at least three-quarters of the presently-elected Officers are present. The meeting shall be announced at least one week in advance by the President no later than one week after receiving the proposed amendment. Additionally, the announcement of the meeting shall contain the text of the proposed amendment.
If the amendment has been duly proposed and announced a week in advance, amendments may be ratified at Band Council.
The proposed amendment shall be read at least twice during such a meeting.
The amendment may be modified at the meeting so long as the modifications remain on-topic in the judgment of the President.

Section 3

a. Amendments to the Band Constitution shall take effect immediately upon ratification.

Article V: Ratification

Section 1

a. The Ratification of this Constitution shall require a two-thirds vote of the voting members of the PUB. The ratification vote shall take place at an open meeting publicly announced at least one week in advance.

Section 2

a. A copy of this Constitution shall be available for inspection upon request, at least one week before the ratification vote.

Section 3

The ratification of this Constitution will void any previously existing Constitutions.