A D V O C A C Y C O

M

A

S

U

K

A D V O C A C Y C O A L I T I O N G O V E R N I N G C H A R T E R “ S e mpe r Ve r itas ”

M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n • 1 0 1 4 M o n r o e Tu r n p i k e , M o n r o e , C T- M a s u k H i g h S c h o o l • C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 9

MASUK ADVOCACY COALITION GOVERNING CHARTER I. Establishment ! A. Establishment ! B. Mission ! C. Approval II. Membership Requirements ! A. Admission ! ! i. Contract ! ! ii. Definition ! B. Requirements ! C. Removal III. Governing Body ! A. Governing System ! ! i. General Policies ! B. Elections IV. Conduct Policies ! A. General Policies ! ! i. Code of Conduct ! ! ii. Code of Ethics ! ! ii. Understanding of Roles ! B. Meeting Policies ! C. Communication Processes ! D. Secrecy Section I. ! Article A. Establishment- We the STUDENTS of Masuk High School, on this Saturday, ! the 12th of September, 2009, herby establish the Masuk Advocacy Coalition, to establish the lines of communication to advocate for change of the unjust and inefficient within the Monroe Public School System. Article B. Mission- The Masuk Advocacy Coalition's (M.A.C.) purpose is to establish lines of communication with School Administration, Town Council Members, and other Community Leaders, to begin a conversation to help improve our community through careful examination, debate, and measures to improve the matter at hand. Article C.- Approval- The FOUNDERS (Masuk Class of 2011) and Administration of Masuk High School with the Approval of the Masuk MRA, herby approve the articles held forthwith, and also herby confirm this Article to have the powers of flexibility, and the RESPONSIBILITY held within the GOVERNING BODY to keep this Article current and relevant at all times.

M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

2

Section II. Article A. Admission i. Contract- All perspective members of the M.A.C. (Seen Abbreviated Herein) MUST sign the Membership Contract, or entrance to the M.A.C. will be denied. (*See Document "Membership Contract 9/12/09 Revision 1.0") ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

ii. Definition- Entrance to the M.A.C. gives each MEMBER the following POWERS and RIGHTS! ! ! ! ! !

1. The right and obligation to Vote on Movements 2. The right to run for office 3. The right to propose new movements 4. The right to petition 5. The protection of ridicule, abuse, or other verbal/physical attacks 6. The confidentiality of votes, records

Article B. Requirements- In order to qualify to be a MEMBER of the M.A.C., each participant must sign the Membership Contract before entrance is granted, as well as receive one signature of a Teacher or Administrator, as well as one signature of the current President. Failure to do so will result in a denied application. Any denied applicant may reapply at their discretion. Article C. Removal- Failure to adhere to the rules will result in the IMMEDIATE action from the M.A.C. without warning. We DO NOT tolerate any sort of slander, physical action, or any other sort of violation of the GOVERNING CHARTER. Furthermore, any violation of school policy will result in your immediate expulsion. Warnings will be given on first offense, a PROBATION period follows with details to be determined by the COUNCIL, on the second offense you will be removed without warning. You will not be permitted to reapply for admission. Section III. Article A. Governing System- The Governing system of the M.A.C. is derived much from the setup of the US Congress. There are 3 individual bodies, with the COUNCIL as the chief governing body, a COMMITTEE COUNCIL that is responsible for researching, advocating, and acting upon the groups votes as well as any voting member's suggestion, and lastly the GENERAL BODY, which comprises of all the voting members and all officers, to hold group meetings and conduct general business. The Setup is as follows: COUNCIL- 5 Top Executive Positions, 6 eligible offices to be held within the council including the following: ! ! !

M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

3

President of M.A.C.- In charge of all operations, oversees all actions of the group, voting member of the COUNCIL and GENERAL BODY. Vice President of M.A.C.- In charge of the GENERAL BODY, conducts all meetings and moderates all meetings, voting member of the COUNCIL ONLY. Secretary- In charge of keeping detailed reports of all meetings, committee suggestions, etc. etc. including voting records. Main responsibility to moderate elections. Voting member of the COUNCIL and GENERAL BODY. Must be able to use Word and Excel proficiently. Historian- Works closely with the Secretary to document all voting records, meeting minutes, and any other business conducted by the group. All documents must be filed online to the M.A.C.'s online website and server, as well as keep a hard-copy file with all documents. Main responsibility as Webmaster for the M.A.C. Voting member of the COUNCIL and GENERAL BODY. Must be able to use Word and Excel proficiently. Chairman of Committees- In charge of all Committees, head officer of the COMMITTEE COUNCIL, responsibility to organize all committee's and their Managers as well as to report the GENERAL BODY and COUNCIL on all actions and any developments in their subject. ! Chief Spokesman- In charge off all Spokesman and Public Representatives of the M.AC. In charge of all Public Relations and bringing suggestions and grievances to any body other than the M.A.C. COMMITTEE COUNCIL- Chief Spokesman and Chairman of Committees lead the council in conducting all meetings. Council is aimed at organizing and planning action and presentations to the COUNCIL and the GENERAL BODY. All Sub Committee Managers are represented at this council with each project manager presenting monthly reports to be reviewed and debated in council until they receive approval to be moved onto the GENERAL BODY for general debate and discussion. Managers are selected in the following means: ! -Bringing a presentation of an issue to the GENERAL BODY ! -After discussion and debate, if the issue is deemed to be a matter to look into,the Chair! ! man will approve a volunteer to lead a Sub Committee to research the issue. ! Each committee is allowed to have a maximum of 12 Staff, a group that is interested in the particular subject. The group is filled on a first come first serve basis. Committee's duties are to research and prepare a presentation on why the issue is important and how they believe a solution could be achieved, to be submitted to the Council, then to the GENERAL BODY. Managers and members who wish to speak on the issues behalf are asked to attend all meetings of the council. GENERAL BODY- A representation of all the Members of M.A.C. COUNCIL members are in attendance along with all members to discuss general business and vote on movements and other objectives. Meetings are conducted by the Vice President of M.A.C. with assistance from the COUNCIL to respectively perform their duties. See Meeting Policies for more information. M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

4

Article B. Elections- There are two series of elections per year with two individual sessions, the Summer Session and the Winter Session. Elections will take place on the first meeting days of November and April respectively. Members who wish to file for office must file an Electoral Intent Form (See Document 2-10/31/09) and receive the signature of the Secretary and President as well as 5 members to obtain permission to run. Once secured, the Candidate will be able to make their case as to why they are the best candidate for each position one meeting prior to elections. ! ! Election voting occurs by using one standard ballot containing each position, each candidate as well as the candidates mission statement. Voting will take place using two lines, Line A-L and Line M-Z using each MEMBERS last name. The appointed Electorates will check off each persons name as they vote to ensure no double voting as well as make sure everyone has their voice heard. It is the responsibility of the Secretary and Electorates after the election to tally each vote while signing each ballot to ensure each is counted, then post the results at the next meeting as well as store the results for future reference. Which ever candidate should receive the most ballots will win, however if there is a difference of only 10% in votes, a runoff race must be setup to choose the next candidate. Whichever candidate has more votes in the runoff will be declared the winner. Each candidate after ensuring victory will sworn in at the next meeting. The ceremony will be conducted by the previous President (See Document 3 11/6/09) Once the ceremony is complete, the meeting may commence and it will allow the incumbents to train the next council for approximately 2 weeks. After that, the COUNCIL is permitted to act under their own discretion. ! Section IV. Article A. General Policies- As listed above, this document contains all written polices and BiLaws pertaining to the operation of MAC, this document can be amended to add new polices and rules to ensure the continuation of MAC with a 2/3 majority vote of the COUNCIL and GENERAL BODY. Held within are the MAC BILAWS, which should be given to all MEMBERS and COUNCIL members as they become part of MAC. All policies are in place for a reason, and must be adhered to. Failure to do so will result in explosion as listed above. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

i. Code of Conduct- All members are held to a high standard to represent the MAC ! and themselves in a well mannered way. ! 1) At no time may a member speak for the group unless given permission ahead of ! time. ! 2) No member may disclose any information on the goings on of the group with! ! out permission ahead of time. ! 3) No member may violate any part of the GOVERNING CHARTER or disobey ! any ruling of an Executive. ! 4) Members must maintain a good social standing with the group, no outbursts or ! ! any form of drama or political bargaining is permitted.

M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

5

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

ii. Code of Ethics- All members must follow a good moral code of ethics to maintain participation. ! ! 1) No member can suggest any form of physical harm to any body or ! ! ! single entity. ! ! 2) No member may slander any one person or body. ! ! 3) All accusations MUST be backed up with factual evidence or it will be ! ! ! considered slander. ! ! 4) No members may advertise hatred for one party or one entity ! ! 5) No Riots or Physical actions can be taken by any member. ! ! 6) No action or can break school policy or BOE policy, within reason. ! ! 7) No member will be permitted or allowed to remain a member if seen ! ! ! doing any such activity, whether group related or not.

iii. Understanding Of Roles- For each Executive, they must sign a contract before running for a position that states that they MUST uphold this document and they are not ! permitted to abolish this document. Should any executive choose to do so, it is the responsibility of the MEMBERS to take control of the GOVERNING COUNCIL by reaching a 2/3 majority vote of the GENERAL BODY and the signature of the Group Advisors ahead of time. Should that not succeed, it is the responsibility of the MEMBERS or any Executive still in control to close the group, as to prevent any slander or negativity escaping into the Town of Monroe. This is to avoid any sort of backlash from Administrators and Residents as well as ensure student participation in education policy. Members must follow a similar code. When applying to become a MEMBER, they must sign a contract stating to uphold this document at all times and adhere to all rules and policy set herein. MEMBERS who disobey will be subject to the MAC Disciplinary Policy. No one member of MAC can hold infinite power, this is a democracy, not a dictatorship, and MAC will forever be setup as such. ! ! Article B. Meeting Policies- General Meetings are set up in following example: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Opening: Meeting Called to Order, Meeting approved, Introductions ! A. Former meeting reports from Committee Council Chairman (20 Minutes) ! ! ! ! i. Reports from Sub Councils (Managers, Group Members) ! ! ! ! ii. Debate discussion session ! ! ! ! iii. COUNCIL deliberation on Report, further action ! ! ! ! iv. Voting on Actions ! B. New Business Reports (20 Minutes) ! ! ! ! i. Introductions, Group presentations ! ! ! ! ii. Debate on the General Floor ! ! ! ! iii. COUNCIL deliberation on Subject ! ! ! ! iv. Vote on creation of Sub Committee to explore subject !

M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

6

! ! ! ! ! !

! ! 1) If passed, appointments of Sub Committee Managers to be determined ! ! by COUNCIL members. ! ! 2) If denied, movement can be explored at a future meeting by repeating ! ! ! the process. ! C. General Floor Debate and Open Floor Discussion (20 Minutes) Closing: Meeting adjourned, Records closed and signed by President and Secretary

Before each meeting, all business will be submitted to be on the schedule to the Secretary to write up. No business can be added 2 days before a Meeting, all information and business must be submitted before than. A copy of the MAC Business form (See Document 4 11/6/09) must be filled out by the Project Manager of a subject, or if new business, fill out the form with the new business and names of participants who are also interested. Included must be the names of all participants involved, how long the presentation will take, what documents or evidence the person(s) have, as well as the reference number to any other documents already in the possession of the MAC (Voting records, other prior data, used mainly incase of reopening an old topic) At the commencement of a meeting, this will be easier for the Executives to use to help quickly move through business. Meetings may not take over an hour in length, with no presentation taking over 20 Minutes in length, unless under special circumstances. After each presentation, the COUNCIL will deliberate publicly on the given subject for a small amount of time, then open the floor to MEMBERS to debate. Afterwards, the subject will be voted upon to see if action or further investigation is needed. A 2/3 Majority vote is required for such to happen. Each meeting will close with the COUNCIL opening the floor to any last minute business or debate, then will schedule a new meeting with the Secretary. Once that is complete, the meeting will be adjourned with all documents and notes taken at the Meeting to be filed away using the Reference System (See Document 5 11/6/09) and the Meeting Schedule and Overview will be signed by the President, Vice President, and Secretary to ensure that all information is official. Article C. Communication Processes- This is the most important part of the MAC, the communication to the BOE and Administration. The MAC will have a Communication Committee within, comprising of 2 Spokesman and the Chief Spokesman, who will be in charge of communication with each body as well as handling all PR. All business that has been voted apron, debated, reviewed, and approved for further investigation by the COUNCIL is permitted to make it on the Communications Committee's schedule, which will contain all matters to be handled. Only these matters may be communicated by these individuals. Spokesman are appointed by the Chief Spokesman, who is elected by the GENERAL BODY. The Chief Spokesman's candidates must be reviewed by the COUNCIL and hand chosen by a 2/3 Majority vote on each candidate. Once in office, these people are allowed one absence in the MAC General Meetings, and if absent will be removed. These are cycled through every Session. All Spokesman must attend all BOE meetings and Communicate with the COUNCIL and GENERAL BODY on any new information from the BOE, as well as communicate the MAC's actions and concerns. A MEMBER is only permitted to be Spokesman 3 times in a 4 year period. M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

7

Article D. Secrecy- With the nature of the MAC being an advocacy group for students, we pledge protection from giving any particular information on its members or any actions of its members to any body or group, including the BOE. All MEMBERS have protection from retaliation by any body, should any personal information be divulged, an appeal can be made to the President of MAC to look into the situation. We create an environment where students can voice their concerns without fear of retaliation, just as we are allowed to do so according to the Bill of Rights, no action will be taken against a student for speaking their mind. If any student should have that happen, MAC will advise the student to the proper authorities to handle the situation. Should any MEMBER divulge any information to any body, they will be expelled without an opportunity for re admittance or appeal.

With these signatures, this document is hereby enacted and approved as the MAC Governing Charter, and all signees understand the terms involved. ! !

Tanner Bokor, President and Founder, MAC!!

!

Date!

!

M a s u k A d v o c a c y C o a l i t i o n!

Governing Charter -Copyright 2009

8