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Amateur Spaceflight Association
Mission Statement
Promote space-related activities in such a manner that safely challenges the technical limits of amateur space flight.
Purpose
The purpose of the Amateur Spaceflight Association, hereafter known as ASA (pronounced a-sa), is to promote amateur space exploration and provide inspiration for other amateur space enthusiasts. At a minimum, ASA's endeavors challenge its members to be pro-active in continuing their technical education.
Membership
ASA is a structured organization consisting of an Administration (Chairman, Chief Engineer, Treasurer, Safety Officer, and Design Leads), Members, and Associate Members. The Administration's roles and responsibilities will be defined later. A member of ASA is defined as any person who frequently attends both the general and design meetings, maintains contact with their appropriate Design Leads, and faithfully represents ASA in accordance with its Purpose and Mission Statement. Additionally, new members are asked to contribute a suggested donation in support of ASA. An associate member of ASA is defined as any person who frequently attends the ASA general meetings, supports ASA’s endeavors, and faithfully represents ASA in accordance with its Purpose and Mission Statement. However, associate members cannot be nominated for administrative positions and are not eligible for ASA sponsored travel except under extenuating circumstances approved by the Chairman.
Administrative Roles & Responsibilities
The officers of ASA shall constitute a board consisting of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chief Engineer(s), several Design Lead Positions, Secretary, Financial Officer, Public Relations Representative, and a Safety Officer defined as follows: Chairman (President): The Chairman is responsible for ASA’s organizational stability. This includes maintaining records and handling the group’s external business. The Chairman shall: 1. Be the chief executive officer of the organization by delegating tasks to the Chief Engineer, Treasurer, and the Safety Officer. 2. Act as the leader of all general meetings. 3. Represent ASA and the membership thereof to organizations and at gatherings where such representation is necessary. 4. Oversee and administer any activities of the organization not specifically under the control of a Chief Engineer. 5. Shall delegate responsibility for absent administrative roles when applicable. 6. Shall initiate a vote of no-confidence amongst the administration concerning termination of memberships. Vice Chairman (Vice-President) The Vice-Chairman is responsible for ASA’s internal business. The Vice-Chairman shall: 1. Lead the ASA Administration. 2. Represent ASA and the membership thereof to organizations and at gatherings where such representation is necessary. 3. Handle the business activities of ASA. 4. Shall initiate a vote of no-confidence amongst the administration concerning termination of memberships. Chief Engineer The Chief Engineer is responsible for the overall success of an ASA technical endeavor. A Chief Engineer will lead each ASA project, and therefore multiple Chief Engineers may exist at a given time. The Chief Engineer shall be the coordinator of all design activities as follows: 1. Act as the leader of all project-related Design Meetings. 2. Delegate out all sub-system design tasks to the appropriate Design Lead. 3. Resolve any internal design conflicts. Design Leads The Design Leads are responsible for the successful delivery of tasks delegated by the Chief Engineer. Additionally, the Design Leads shall be the coordinator of their system group members: 1. Delegate design tasks. 2. Responsibly inform the Chief Engineer of their status at design meetings. 3. Resolve any system related design conflicts. Secretary The Secretary shall hold final responsibility for all ASA documentation. The Secretary shall: 1. Be responsible for keeping accurate and complete records of ASA documentation, official correspondence, and business dealings. Financial Officer The Financial Officer is responsible for the financial stability of the organization. The treasurer shall: 1. Be responsible for keeping accurate and complete records of the financial transactions of ASA. 2. Administer the finances of ASA with the approval of the Chairman or Chief Engineer. 3. Prepare and present a budget summary for the operations of the organization at every design meeting and a budget report once a quarter. 4. Internally coordinate all fundraising activities. Public Relations Representative The Public Relations Representative shall be ASA’s external liaison. The Public Relations Representative shall: 1. Faithfully represent ASA and ASA’s ideals in accordance with ASA’s Purpose and Mission Statement. 2. Prepare strategies for ASA’s Public Relations outreach. 3. Facilitate relations between ASA and external enterprises. Safety Officer The Safety Officer shall uphold the highest safety standards for the organization. The Safety Officer has the final authority in all issues concerning safety. 1. The Safety Officer shall delegate associate members or available personnel as safety deputies for ASA events. 2. The Safety Officer shall assume the responsibilities of the Range Safety Officer during ASA test firings and launches.
Elections of Administrative Positions	[top]
Any person in an administrative position can nominate any member of ASA for an administrative role. A majority vote by the current administration is needed for approval of the nominee. Any person in the administration can be removed from their respective position by a two-thirds vote of the current administration.
Finances	[top]
The Chairman, Chief Engineer, or appropriate design lead shall approve all purchases. Purchase orders and reimbursements shall be obtained via the Financial Officer. In the event that ASA is dissolved, for any reason, and it is clear that there is no likelihood that it will reform, all property belonging to ASA must be sold or auctioned off and the proceeds given to a sec. 501c(3) worthy charity in the Houston area.
Meetings	[top]
General meetings are open to the public and shall occur on the first Thursday of every month, unless otherwise specified. Design meetings, open to members only, shall occur every Thursday of the month excluding the weeks when General meetings occur. The agendas for any meeting shall be the responsibility of that meeting’s chairman.
Amendments	[top]
The membership of the club shall be empowered to, from time to time and as it sees fit, amend the constitution of the club. Amendments can be nominated for review by the Administration with a two-thirds majority vote. Once nominated, an amendment shall be approved with a three-quarters majority of the Administration. The approval vote shall occur within no more than two design meetings of nomination.

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