Lchea Student Council West Constitution

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Constitution West Ashley Lowcountry Christian Home Educators Association Student Council Revised June 1, 2007

Constitution................................................................................................1 1. Purpose............................................................................... .................2 2. Goals.............................................................................. ......................2 3. Council Membership................................................. .........................2 4. Meetings............................................................. .................................2 5. Fundraisers......................................................... ................................3 6. Authorities........................................................................... ................3 7. Leadership.................................................................................. .........3 A. Leadership Positions...................................................................................3 I. Class President................................................................................................3 II. Class Vice President.......................................................................................3 III. Service Committee Chairman.......................................................................4 IV. Social Committee Chairman..........................................................................4 V. Council Advisor..............................................................................................4 B. Supporting Offices......................................................................................4 I. Treasurer..........................................................................................................4 II. Secretary........................................................................................................5 III. Class Reporter..............................................................................................5 IV. Information Technologies Manager..............................................................5 V. Public Relations Officer .................................................................................5 VI.. Other Offices................................................................................................6 C. Committees.................................................................................................6 I. Service Committee..........................................................................................6 II. Social Committee..........................................................................................6 III Electoral Committee.....................................................................................7

7. Elections and Selection of Leadership...................................... .........7 A. Nominations................................................................................................7 B. Campaigning...............................................................................................7 C. Elections......................................................................................................7 D. Inauguration................................................................................................8 I. Oath of Elected offices. .................................................................................8 II. Oath of Presidency........................................................................................8 E. Terms of Office............................................................................................8 F. Re-election...................................................................................................8

8. Removing an Officer, Resignation, and Replacing a Vacancy ........9 A. Removing an Officer...................................................................................9 B. Resignation..................................................................................................9 C. Replacing an Officer...................................................................................9

9. Ratifying and Changing the Constitution.........................................9 A. Ratifying the Constitution...........................................................................9 B. Changing the Constitution........................................................................10

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1. Purpose The LCHEA Student Council West has been created as a service organization and a student body government for the students of the LCHEA support group. This service-oriented organization will offer students many learning opportunities including leadership skills, planning and implementation of projects.

2. Goals The goals of this Council will be to promote responsibility, leadership, etiquette, and maturity among high school students. The council will accomplish this through student run activities, for which they are responsible for choosing, planning, funding, and executing.

3. Council Membership Any LCHEA students in 8th-12th grades who wish to be a member of the Student Council may attend any of the meetings. Only high school students will be permitted to hold council offices; a high school student is defined for the purposes of this Council as any student between the grades of nine and twelve. Any students who regularly attend meetings and service projects will be considered a member of the Student Council. Any student of eligible age who does not attend meetings will be considered members of the Student Body. After being a member of the Student Council for at least six months, the student will be eligible for holding a position or office. This is to prevent someone who is unfamiliar with the workings of the Council from being put in charge of the council. Because the goal of this Student Council is to be a service-oriented group, and the Service Projects are to be the highest priority, there are to be no more social time than there is service time. Students must complete and turn in hours to the Service Committee chair. Students must have completed 2 hours of service for every 1 hour of student council social time. So if a member desires to go to a social function that lasts 2 hours they must be approved with no less than 4 hours of service time. In addition, those 4 hours once used cannot be used for another social event.

4. Meetings Business meetings shall be held a minimum of once a quarter, with a minimum of four in any given year. The President may decide to call other meetings if necessary. If necessary, the President may decide to hold a meeting over the Internet, in a chat room or some other format. He or she will work in conjunction with the IT Manager to make this possible. These meetings will not be counted in the minimum four business meetings but will be additional meetings. At each meeting, the president will preside and run the meeting according to parliamentary procedures as found in Roberts Rules of Order. All motions will be approved by a simple majority vote of the voting members present. The President will be responsible for setting the Agenda. At each meeting, each officer will be called upon to give a report of his or her office, to be recorded in the minutes. Dates and times for the next meetings, service projects, and social events will be set at business meetings.

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5. Fundraisers Any fundraisers will be run by the committee that needs the money; In other words, if the Service Committee needs money to buy paint for a house, it will need to plan a fundraiser to raise that money. If the Social Committee needs a fundraiser for an event it is planning, then the Social Committee will be responsible for that fundraiser. Other members may require money, and it is their responsibility to raise that money. The Student Council Treasury has a limited amount of money, and cannot be expected to pay for everything. As with other events, the person in charge of the fundraiser must work with the President to coordinate the schedule.

6. Authorities The Student Council will be under the authority first and foremost of Our Sovereign Lord and His Holy Word. The Student Council will also be under the authority of this Constitution, the LCHEA Constitution and By-Laws, and all Local, State, and Federal Laws. International law where applicable will also be upheld. As students and minors, the members of the Student Council are under the authority of their respective parents. The Student Council recognizes it is under the authority of the Council Advisor, who may overrule any decision of the Council that is deemed inappropriate, and recognizes the authority of the leaders LCHEA.

7. Leadership The Student Council will be student run. There will be a Council Advisor(s) who will provide supervision and assistance when needed, but the primary responsibility lies with the students. A. Leadership Positions I. Class President The class President will preside at all student council meetings and shall supervise all student council business. Student Council business may include any student council activities that the body is considering; this may include: fundraisers, social activities, service committees etc. The President will have the responsibility of coordinating the Student Council Calendar to ensure that events are not scheduled on the same day and that events are scheduled far enough apart. Withdrawal of any funds from the student council treasury will require a request bearing the signatures of class President and Treasurer. Additional responsibilities of the President will be outlined throughout the Constitution. The Class President should be a senior or junior. II. Class Vice President The Class Vice President will perform any and all the duties of the President when the President is absent or unavailable. The Vice President will act as an assistant to the President, performing tasks as directed by the president such as supervising activities or committees. The Vice President will be the de facto Electoral Committee Chairman, unless it is decided that another person should take that position. In the event the vice president is unable to perform their duties the President shall appoint another office to cover their duties (possibly the secretary). The Vice President should be a sophomore, junior or senior.

4 III. Service Committee Chairman The Service Committee Chair shall head the Service Committee. The Service Committee Chairman should keep in close contact with the President to coordinate the schedule with other meetings and social events. The Service Committee Chairman shall have the responsibilities of: Working with the President to schedule events on the calendar; Appointing committee members to keep records, plan events, execute events and fundraising; Keeping a record of service hours for all council members; Leading the service committee as they organize at least 2 group service projects each year. Chairman should appoint a committee, when needed, that can effectively accomplish each of the tasks of this branch of the council. The Service Committee Chairman shall be elected by the Student Council. He or she should be a high school student. IV. Social Committee Chairman The Social Committee Chairman shall head the Social Committee. The Social Committee Chairman should keep in close contact with the President to coordinate the schedule with other meetings and service projects. The Social Committee Chairman shall have the responsibilities of: Working with the President to schedule events on the calendar; Appointing committee members to keep records, plan events, execute events and fundraising; Leading the social committee as they organize at least 3 group socials each year (one of these will be a year-end party). Chairman should appoint a committee that can effectively accomplish the tasks of this branch of the council. The Social Committee Chairman shall be elected by the Student Council. He or she should be a high school student. V. Council Advisor The Council Advisor shall be a responsible adult chosen to provide guidance and assistance at need to the Student Council. This person will be chosen by from among LCHEA support group membership. There should be at least one Council Advisor, but there may be up to three. However, because the Student Council is a student run organization, the function of Council Advisor is to provide supervision and guidance for the Student Council. He or she is to make recommendations, veto unreasonable ideas, and generally guide the Council in making good decisions. The Council Advisor will work with each of the Student Council leadership positions to help them understand their role in the government and provide assistance as necessary. The Council Advisor will observe the actions of the Student Council and intervene when necessary. B. Supporting Offices I. Treasurer The Class Treasurer will receive and disburse all money for the student council and will render a written financial report to the President for each Council meeting and at other times when so directed by the Class President, Council Advisor, or LCHEA leader. In addition, the Treasurer will report at each business meeting the financial status of the council. The treasurer will give, in the name of the student council, all money received by the Treasurer to the Council Advisor or LCHEA Treasurer. All Student Council money will be specially designated for student council use only. The Student Council Treasurer must keep accurate records and be responsible to know the amount of money in the account. The Treasurer and Class President must sign any request for fund from this

5 account. The Treasurer will be elected by the Student Council. The Treasurer should be a high school student. II. Secretary The Class Secretary will take minutes at student council meetings and will make them available via email, hard copy or on the e-loop to the student body and adult leadership. The Secretary will type the minutes and put a printed copy in his or her folder, bringing them to each business meeting. There the student council will accept or amend the minutes. If minutes must be amended, then the secretary must present the amended minutes at the next meeting for acceptance. After the minutes are accepted, the Secretary will distribute the minutes to each of the Officers described in this Constitution via e-mail or other acceptable means. The Secretary will maintain a folder containing any student council paperwork. This folder will be passed on to the next secretary upon inauguration. The Class Secretary is also responsible for maintaining a roster of Student Council Members, including e-mail addresses and phone numbers. This roster shall be updated periodically. The Secretary will then distribute the roster by acceptable means to any council member who asks needs it, ensuring that the President, Vice President, Service and Social Committee Chairmen, and IT Manager have up-to date rosters so that they can contact the student council as needed. The Secretary will keep a copy of the Constitution at all times, and will keep a copy of any amendments made on record. The Secretary will assume the duties of the Class Reporter if one does not exist or is not available. The Class Secretary must furthermore keep a record of the officers of the Student Council. The Class Secretary shall be elected by the Student Council. The Class Secretary should be in high school. III. Class Reporter The Class Reporter will be in charge of student news. The Reporter will write student council reports for the LCHEA Newsletter. This will include reports every month of upcoming activities and a full report after each council meeting so that reports are included in the Community section of each LCHEA newsletter. The reporter will keep a file containing any news or human-interests stories generated by the student council and make them available upon request. Throughout the year, the Reporter will keep a history of the Council, called the Record of Accomplishments. This will include reports on each of the service projects and Social events. The reporter will write a brief synopsis at the end of the term for each of the officers for that term, also to be entered into the Record. Any Activities or Accomplishments of the members of the Student Council deserving recognition will be entered into this Record. This will preserve a history of the Council. The Reporter’s folder/notebook will be passed on to the next Reporter upon inauguration. The Class Reporter shall be elected by the Student Council. The Class Reporter should be in high school. IV. Information Technologies Manager The Information Technologies Manager, or IT Manager, is responsible for any technological support necessary. The IT manager will maintain the council loop as Moderator making sure that all members of the council have access. Additional duties may include creation of a Website, a chat room for online meetings, or any other any other IT support the council deems necessary. The IT Manager shall be elected by the Student Council. The IT Manager should be in high school.. V. Public Relations Officer The Public Relations Officer is in responsible for any advertisement for the LCHEA Student Council West. This office is concerned with the image of the council with LCHEA and the

6 community. The Public Relations Officer will take photos at all council events. These photos should be made available to council members (preferably electronically). The Public Relations Officer will provide the LCHEA yearbook staff with pictures for the yearbook. They may also need to help lay out the yearbook pages. VI.. Other Offices New offices may be created to fulfill a purpose if approved by the Student Council. Any new offices must be approved by a two thirds majority at any Student Council meeting. Any office determined by the Student Council to be permanent may be added to the Constitution. At any time, the President may create another office, but Student Council must approve it.

C. Committees I. Service Committee The Service Committee shall be in charge of planning and implementing the service projects and keeping records of service hours earned by members of the Student Council. Membership of the Committee shall be limited to a number chosen by the Committee Chairman. Members should apply for the job, and the Chairman will select members. They shall work under the leadership of the Service Committee Chairman, who in turn works with the President and Leadership. The Service Committee shall be charged with planning at least 2 group service projects in any given school year as defined between August and May. The Service Committee will use ideas provided by the Student Council, however it will come up with its own ideas and present them at each of the business meetings. Community service projects are to be chosen by and voted on by the student body at student council meetings. The service committee will then make any necessary arrangements. Suggested service projects are not to be particularly connected to the ministry of any one church. The Service Committee will investigate opportunities, present them to the Student Council, and then plan and organize them. Volunteers to carry out planned projects shall be recruited from the Student Council by the committee head. The Committee will also ensure that council members are aware of dates, places, and times of service projects. The Committee Chairman will work with the President and other Chairmen to ensure that no activities are planned on the same date or too close together. The Service Committee members can include any member of the council chosen by the committee head. II. Social Committee The Social Committee shall be in charge of planning and implementing social events. Membership of the Committee shall be limited to a number chosen by the Committee Chairman. Members should apply for the job, and the Chairman will select members. They shall work under the leadership of the Social Committee Chairman, who in turn works with the President and Leadership. The Social Committee shall be charged with planning at least 3 social events in any given school year as defined between August and May. The Social Committee will use ideas provided by the Student Council, however it will come up with its own ideas and present them at each of the business meetings. The Social Committee shall be responsible for finding a location willing to host the event, procuring adult assistance if needed, and running the event. Volunteers to prepare food, set up

7 buildings, and clean-up shall be recruited from the Student Council. The Committee is responsible for the entire social event, including any decoration and clean-up necessary. The Committee will also ensure that council members are aware of dates, places, and times of social events. The Social Committee members can be any council member chosen by the committee head. III Electoral Committee The Electoral committee shall be responsible for processing all nominations, acceptances, and declinations. The process for nominating and accepting or declining is outlined in a later section. The Electoral Committee shall be chaired by the Vice President unless it is decided that another member should take the position. Membership of the Committee shall be limited to a number chosen by the Committee Chairman. Members should apply for the job, and the Chairman will select members. The Committee Chairman shall receive nominations, sign them to show that he or she has seen them, and then notify the person being nominated of their nomination. Nominations must be received by March 15 or the closest business meeting before that date. The Committee has until March 31 to make nominees aware of their nomination, and acceptances or declinations must be received by April 15. After all nominees have accepted or declined, the Electoral Committee shall prepare ballots for the upcoming election. Committee members can be any council members chosen by the Vice President.

7. Elections and Selection of Leadership A. Nominations Nominations for election will be received beginning in January. The deadline for Nominations will be March 15, or the last business meeting prior to that date. Any Student Council member may nominate any other member for an office for which that person is eligible. If a member wishes to nominate someone who does not meet all the criteria for holding that office, such as grade level, the Council Advisor must approve that nomination before it is formally made. The Electoral Committee must inform persons of their nomination by March 31. After being nominated, a nominee must accept or decline. They have until April 15 to formally accept or decline. In order to formally nominate, a letter (can be e-mailed) must be submitted to the Electoral Committee Chairman, who will then approve the nominee by signing the letter. For a nominee to formally accept or decline a nomination, the same process will be followed: a letter will be submitted to the Electoral Committee Chairman. The committee chair will publish the list of nominees by April 20th to the Student Council West loop for examination of the council at large. This is to ensure that names will be properly entered on the ballots. B. Campaigning Once a Council member has been nominated for an office, he or she then has a period of time to campaign. This could include making banners, flyers, posters, speeches, etc. Funds will not be dispersed from the Class Treasury to aid in any of these endeavors. There will be a chance to make campaign speeches at the year’s final business meeting, which will be election night. C. Elections During the latter half of the year, the Electoral Committee will be collecting and processing all nominations, acceptances, and declinations. After April 20, when the candidates have all been selected, the Electoral Committee will prepare the ballots. They will then bring the ballots to the

8 Election meeting. Candidates will make a campaign speech at this election before the ballots are marked. After all the speeches have been made, ballots will be submitted to the Council Advisor, who will count them and return the results on the night of the election. In the case of a tie there will be a run-off election on the same day. D. Inauguration The Secretary shall provide a written copy of the oath of office for each of the elected officials. If funds are needed to make copies, the Secretary may request a reasonable amount from the Treasurer. Each official will sign this oath as well as recite it before the Student Council at the first business meeting of the new school year, and the signed copy will be filed in the Secretary’s file. If for any reason the outgoing officer is unable to remain in office until the beginning of the school year, the incoming officer replacing him or her may be inaugurated as needed in order to preserve continuity of leadership. I. Oath of Elected offices. Inauguration of all elected offices will take place at the first business meeting of the new school year. There will be a formal ceremony during which each member takes an oath of office. The oath of Office is as follows for each of the offices except the President, whose oath will follow. I, insert name of elected official, will faithfully serve in my office as insert name of office, and uphold the Constitution of this Student Council for the duration of my term, supporting the Student Council and it’s leadership in their decisions. I will faithfully represent the members of this Student Council and uphold their desires, striving to do my best at all times, so help me God. II. Oath of Presidency The oath of office for the President will be as follows. I, insert name of President elect, will faithfully serve in the office of President, and uphold the Constitution of this Student Council for the duration of my term. I recognize the leadership of the Council Advisor and LCHEA, and promise to uphold their desires in my office, and I promise to represent the wishes of the Student Council. I will strive at all times to perform my duties to the best of my ability, so help me God. E. Terms of Office The terms of office for each of the offices or positions shall be one year. Officers will be elected during the last meeting of the year, inaugurated at the first business meeting of the year, and shall relinquish their positions at the next inauguration. Over the summer break, the outgoing President will work with the Council Advisor and the outgoing officers to train the new staff and help prepare them to fill their offices. F. Re-election Any officer may run for reelection. All candidates, including those running for reelection, will follow the procedures for nominations and elections. There is no limit on the number of times that an officer may run for reelection.

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8. Removing an Officer, Resignation, and Replacing a Vacancy A. Removing an Officer If at any time the Council Advisor decides that an officer must be removed, he or she has the power to remove that officer. The Council Advisor must then work with the President to replace that officer, as defined in subsection C of this Section. He or she must determine whether or not the officer has committed an offense serious enough to be removed. If at any time an officer is found to not be performing his or her tasks as written in this constitution, the Council Advisor will give the officer a written warning. If any officer receives three warnings for not performing the tasks of their office they will be removed from office (exceptions may be made, at the discretion of the Council Advisor, for instances of hardship or illness). Any officer that has been removed from office will not be allowed to hold and office again for at least one full year from the time they were removed. The Council Advisor will then review the situation and make a decision as to whether the member should be allowed to run for office. If at any time a Student Council member feels an officer should be removed, the student should consult the Council Advisor, who will then decide what course of action should be followed. B. Resignation If at any time an officer feels he or she is incapable of performing the duties called upon by the office he or she holds, that officer may resign. A resignation will be demanded if any officer is no longer homeschooling or moves out of the jurisdiction of the LCHEA Group. In either case, the officer in question must resign. The Council Advisor may call for an officer’s resignation if they believe that the officer is failing to perform their duties. The officer is not obligated to resign; however, the Council Advisor may decide to remove the officer. A resignation must be called for before the Council Advisor removes an officer. C. Replacing an Officer If at any time an officer’s position falls vacant, the President and Council Advisor will work in conjunction to find a new officer within a month’s time. Nominations will be accepted for up to two weeks after an officer vacates their position. An election to decide who will take the position will be held at or before the next council meeting. Council members who desire the job may request consideration. If at any time or for any reason the Presidency falls vacant, the Vice President will fill the role of President, and then hold an election to replace the Vice President. If the Vice Presidency and the Presidency are both vacant at the same time, the Council Advisor will hold an election within a month’s time to replace them.

9. Ratifying and Changing the Constitution A. Ratifying the Constitution The Constitution will be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote. If the Constitution fails to be ratified, necessary changes will be made and the issue will be brought up at the next business meeting. The Constitution will take effect immediately upon ratification.

10 B. Changing the Constitution Changes will not be made to any existing portion of this Constitution unless in dire need. The principles laid forth in this document are in accordance with the will of LCHEA and the founding officers of this body, and no changes will be made to it unless absolutely necessary. Any addition to the Constitution must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote at any two consecutive business meetings.