Bermudian Springs High School Student Council Constitution



Bermudian Springs High School Student Council

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Constitution

The purpose of this organization shall be to promote harmonious relations throughout the school and community, improve student-teacher relationships, sponsor activities beneficial to the students, assist in the management of school activities, and promote the general welfare of the school.

Article I (Name)

Section 1: This organization shall be named and known as the Student Council of Bermudian Springs High School.

Article II (Membership)

Section 1: Membership shall include four members and the class president from Grade 12.

Section 2: Membership shall include three members and the class presidents from Grades 9, 10, and 11.

Section 3: Membership shall additionally include one member from each class for approximately every 30 students in that class.

Section 4: Membership shall include one representative from every school club operating under a formal constitution. The club representative will be determined by the club prior to the end of the school year preceding the year of membership, and the club will notify the Council advisor of this representative in writing at that time. The club representative shall have the same responsibilities of membership as elected members, but will not be eligible for an elected Council office.

Article III (Election of Membership)

Section 1: Student Council nominees shall have had a 70% grade-point average in each subject during each of the first three marking periods. Nominees may also not receive a failing grade on the midterm in the school year prior to his/her term of membership. (amended 05/12/06)

Section 2: The Student Council advisor and/or Principal shall verify a student's academic standing before any name is placed on the ballots.

Section 3: The election of members shall take place the third week after the third grading period ends in the school year preceding their membership. (amended 05/12/06)

Section 4: Newly elected members will be allowed to attend the meetings after the elections in order to elect new officers for the following year.

Section 5: Future ninth-grade representatives at the Middle School shall also be elected two weeks after the end of the third grading period.

Section 6: Departing members will be allowed to attend the remaining meetings in April, May, or June with no voting power on bills submitted for the following year.

Section 7: To be placed on the ballot, any student wishing to represent her/his class should submit an official application received from the Student Council advisor. The application will be reviewed for appropriateness, and if approved by the advisor and administration, and the student meets the grade requirements, the student’s name will be placed on the ballot for her/his respective class. The application will be available for viewing by the student body for a week prior to the election.

Section 8: All vacancies for Student Council representatives should be filled. If the student body does not nominate or elect enough representatives to fully represent the class, or if the advisor feels that there are individuals who would promote the interests of the Student Council who are not current Council members, the advisor, with the majority of officers in support, should fill these vacancies at his/her discretion. The advisor may appoint up to two students from each class to become members of the Student Council at his/her discretion. The advisor may wish to take alternates or individuals who show leadership qualities into consideration. The appointment of additional members to Student Council by the advisor should occur after the membership elections for the following year.

Article IV (Removal from Membership)

Section I: The Secretary must report to the advisor, to be considered for removal from membership, any member failing to attend two general meetings or mandatory events without previously being excused, failing to represent his/her class properly and fairly, or showing actions which are detrimental to the welfare and best interests of the Council or school. Detrimental is defined as any offense leading to an in- or out-of-school suspension, excluding the first tardy offense.

Section 2: The Student Council shall constitute the trial board for removal. A two-thirds vote of the entire membership is necessary to remove anyone from membership, with the exception of a suspension, which will require immediate removal. Such actions must have the approval of the Principal and/or the advisor.

Section 3: If any member is removed from membership, the grade represented will select as the next representative the alternate from the previous election. An officer's replacement will not assume the vacated office.

Section 4: Members will maintain a minimum average of 60% in each subject during the academic year of membership. The advisor will verify that grades are passing at the time of deficiencies, and at the end of each grading period. Should the minimum grade not be met, the member will be temporarily removed from membership until the time of the next grade verification. Membership may be resumed at that time if the minimum grade has been achieved. An Incomplete will not be interpreted as less than minimum.

Article V (Meetings)

Section 1: A general meeting of the membership shall be held every other week on a day and period established by the advisor and/or Principal. All meetings shall be open meetings.

Section 2: The schedule of the meetings for the following school year shall be made by the President, advisors, and/or the Principal at the end of each school year.

Section 3: Special meetings may be called as necessary by the President, advisor, or by the request of one-fourth of the Student Council membership and with the approval of the Principal.

Section 4: The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern this organization in all cases in which they do not conflict with the Constitution of this organization.

Article VI (Quorum)

Section 1: A quorum, for the purpose of holding any general meeting of the membership, shall be sixteen members, including the presiding officer.

Article VII (Officers)

Section 1: The officers of this organization shall be: President, Vice-president, Secretary, Assistant secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian.

Article VIII (Duties of Officers)

Section 1: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Council, call special meetings when necessary, and assume other such duties as are usually associated with this office.

Section 2: The Vice-president shall perform the duties of President is his/her absence, and perform other such duties as are generally associated with this office.

Section 3: The Secretary shall handle all official Student Council correspondence, keep a record of all correspondence, maintain an attendance record, keep the minutes of all Council meetings, make printed copies of the minutes, read the minutes of the previous meeting, and place a printed copy in each teacher's mailbox. This person must be able to type.

Section 4: The Treasurer shall have charge of all Student Council funds, both collection and disbursement, shall maintain an accurate record of all such funds, and shall report at each meeting any changes in the treasury's balance.

Section 5: The Assistant secretary shall assist the secretary when requested.

Section 6: The Parliamentarian shall interpret the Constitution and be certain that all Student Council matters are carried out constitutionally, shall provide all organizations with a copy of the constitution, shall have a copy of the Constitution at every Student Council meeting, and shall be in charge of the fund-raiser calendar.

Article IX (Election of Officers)

Section 1: At the first Student Council meeting following the election of new representatives, nominations for officers will be held.

Section 2: Any of the class representatives in grades 9, 10, and 11 may run for any of the offices, except for President, for the following school year. The office of the President shall be filled by either an upcoming junior or senior representative who has at least one year of Student Council experience.

Section 3: Only members elected for the following school year can vote for an officer for the following year.

Section 4: New officers shall take office at the Student Council meeting following the election of the new officers.

Article X (Removal from Office)

Section 1: The Secretary must report to the advisor any officer failing to attend two general meetings without previously being excused, failing to carry out his/her duties as an officer, or showing actions which are detrimental to the welfare and best interests of the Student Council or the school. (Detrimental is defined in Article IV.)

Section 2: The Student Council shall constitute the trial board for removal. A two-thirds vote of the entire membership shall be necessary to remove anyone from office. Such actions must have the approval of the advisor and the Principal.

Section 3: If an officer other than President resigns or is removed from office only and still desires to remain a member of the Council, the Council shall be empowered to fill the officer vacancy from within the Council membership.

Section 4: If the President resigns or is removed from office, the Vice-president automatically becomes President.

Article XI (Advisors)

Section 1: Members of the faculty or administration shall be chosen as advisor for the following school year by the school administration on a yearly basis.

Section 2: The advisor has no voting power on any bills presented to Student Council.

Article XII (Fund-raisers)

Section 1: The following are the number of fund-raisers allowed, per School Board policy #5600.2:

• Grade 9 - 2 projects

• Grade 10 - 3 projects

• Grade 11 - 4 projects

• Grade 12 - 4 projects

• Nationally affiliated organizations (including FFA, FHA, FBLA, TSA) - 2 self-projects and any number of national projects

• All other organizations - 2 projects each

Dances and the school-wide magazine sale do not count as a fund-raiser.

Section 2: All national and state-chartered vocational youth organizations are an integral part of their respective vocational educational curriculum and shall be permitted more than two community service fundraising projects.

Section 3: All bills concerning fundraising projects and non-profit dances must be passed by a majority vote of the Council and the Principal at least two weeks prior to the activity.

Section 4: All bills will be voted upon in the order that they were received and dated in the library depository for bills.

Section 5: All bills must be passed by the Council membership that will be presiding at the time of the activity. Bills for the following school year may be submitted in May after the election of new representatives.

Section 6: The Student Council reserves the right to table a bill to the next meeting if questions arise concerning its passage.

Section 7: Student Council reserves the power to deny any organization a future fund-raiser and/or to fine any organization or class 10% of its net profits from that particular project if any student of that organization sold items or tickets before or after the dates submitted on the project bill.

Article XIII (Amendments)

Section 1: This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the entire student body, provided that the amendment has first been approved by the Council membership. The proposed amendment must be made public at least one week prior to taking a vote.

Section 2: The by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the members at any regular Student Council meeting.

By-Laws to the Constitution

1. The Student Council shall sponsor at least one activity per year to promote each objective stated under the Council's purposes.

2. Any bills presented to Student Council for a current school year activity can only be acted upon by those members elected for the current year.

3. Any bills presented to Student Council for a following school year activity can only be acted upon by those members elected for the following school year.

4. Every Council member shall be a member of at least one committee and shall carry out all the duties thereof.

5. Teacher chaperones at Student Council sponsored dances will be paid per dance, from the Council treasury, the prevailing wage for athletic game help.

6. All sales from classes and /or student organizations shall be limited to two weeks.

7. Police at Council sponsored dances will be paid their prevailing wages per dance from the Council treasury.

8. The Student Council will make the following scholarships available, providing the necessary funds are in the Council treasury:

• full payment for the incoming President and incoming Secretary to a P.A.S.C. Summer Leadership Workshop, or the equivalent to be paid towards a N.A.S.C. Summer Leadership Workshop

• $100 to any member attending a P.A.S.C. Summer Leadership Workshop, a N.A.S.C. Summer Leadership Workshop, or the N.A.S.C. Conference.

If funds are limited, scholarships will be awarded in the following order of priority:

1. incoming President

2. incoming Secretary

3. first come, first served to all other members

9. All expenditures of funds must be authorized by the advisor and two officers, preferably the President and Treasurer. Authorization shall be indicated by their signatures on B.S.H.S. Activity Fund non-negotiable checks.

revised 11/03

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