Attachment #1
Constitution
Socorro High School
Student Council
We the students and faculty of Socorro High School, in order to promote a closer
cooperation between the faculty, staff and the student body, to promote the welfare of the
school and community, to develop a better understanding of democracy through living by
its principles, and establish this Constitution for Socorro High School Student Council.
ARTICLE I
NAME AND PURPOSE
SECTION A.
This organization shall be known as the Student Council of
Socorro High School.
SECTION B.
The purpose of the organization shall be the following:
To complete projects that will be of help to the school and
community;
To care for, represent, support, and unite the administration, the
various magnet schools, blocks and academies, the Board of
Trustees, the teachers, staff, and students;
To learn, give, and exchange ideas;
To meet others;
To cooperate with sponsor and principal;
To be open-minded;
To experience personal growth;
To become better leaders;
To make a difference.
ARTICLE II
POWERVESTED IN THE ORGANIZTION
The student council will present all the year’s planned activities and projects to the
principle for his/her approval and permission.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION A.
Membership
1. Open Student Council (Anyone may join at anytime of the
year)
2. Work-on Members- Those who cannot attend after-school
meetings can come into the Student Activities office during
lunch or after their commitments to discuss the happening of
the missed meeting.
3. Members can establish representation for each club and
organization as a Student Council representative.
SECTION B.
SECTION C.
Qualifications for Active Membership
1. An active member will work on at lease one activity or project
per week for at least two hours.
2. An active member will spend at least one of his/her lunch
periods per week in the Student Activities room working on an
assigned project in another are of the school (i.e. giving out
honor roll awards, working on an lection, picking up aluminum
cans, etc.)
3. An active member will support the District conventions and
District projects/activities.
4. An active officer will meet all of the above minimum
requirements and also spend a minimum of tow lunch periods a
week working on Student Council business in the Student
Activities room or other assigned area. The officer shall plan,
spearhead, and complete at least the minimum requirements to
win the State awards.
5. Active members must follow and abide by the school’s Code of
Conduct throughout the year.
Absences
1. An active member will have no more that one excuses per
month from regular weekly meetings or else from the work-on,
make up meetings designed for those unable to meet after
school.
2. Should an officer have to miss any meeting, arrangements
should be made in advance with the Student Activities Director
or Student Body/ Council President, and the meeting should be
discussed the next day or as soon as he/she returns to school.
3. All active members are supposed to make Student Council
Meetings a priority and schedule other commitments at a time
other than during the Student Council meeting.
ARTICLE IV
ELECTION OF OFFICERS, THEIR DUTIES
AND REMOVAL PROCEDURE
SECTION A.
Election of Officers
1. Must be eligible.
2. The President and Vice-President must have been an active
Student Council officer for one complete year and be at least a
Junior upon taking office. All other officer candidates must
have been an active member for one year according to Article
III, Section B.
3. The President and Vice- President will be elected by the entire
student body, along with class officers, in late March or early
April. The other officers will be appointed at the first Student
Council general meeting following the school-wide election.
Elections will be advertised and candidates will complete
officer candidate forms to be signed by parents and school
officials. Elections will be held during lunch on one day. A
simple majority vote determines the winner; if necessary, a
run-off will be held within one week.
4. Officers other than President and Vice- President will complete
application for officer, give a speech at a designated Student
Council meeting defining their choice for office; explain their
qualifications for office, and their time commitment. The last
year’s and newly elected President and Vice-President and
Sponsor will appoint the officers. If deemed helpful, the
sponsor and above officers may ask other past officers to assist.
5. Students with a poor school attendance record and discipline
record will not be allowed to run for Student Council position
with truancy or a discipline problem on his or her Socorro High
School record.
SECTION B.
Officer, Member, and Committee duties
1. All members and officers are to set a proper example for nonmembers and students of feeder schools. Student Council
members will properly represent their school, organization, and
community with dignity and pride. Behavior will be under
observation at all times, so it is important that conduct at every
school related function is in an orderly fashion, appropriate,
and proper, be it in our district or others.
2. The officers and committees and their duties will be:
President- Work with the advisor, other officers and the
principal effectively to plan, supervise, manage, and participate
in all activities, including the coordination of committees; plan
and preside at all meetings and inform all officers and members
not present of planned activities and work hard to keep people
involved and active. Makes sure all state reports and scrapbook
are completed; makes sure school is represented at district IX
activities.
Vice-President- Same as President; as the chief helper of the
president, works side by side, sharing all presidential duties;
presides at meetings; helps oversee every committees’ tasks
completion; keep record of Clash of the Clubs.
Secretary- Attend all meetings; keep record of each member’s
number of hours; take minutes report and post minutes of
previous meetings at Student Council meetings’ take
attendance; make and update membership directory; write
invitations to special functions and thank you notes; work hard
to keep people involved and active; help all committees and
attend all activities; keep track of point system being used.
Public Relations/ Historian- Attend all meetings’ keep all
records on the history of student council activities sponsored
by or participated in; reside as chairman of the Scrapbook
committee; make sure photographs are taken of every Student
Council sponsored/ participated activity; publicize all
committee, goals and activities, school spirit activities on the
marquee, bulletin boards, on lockers, in al strategic places, over
intercom, and newspapers (school and local); make sure fliers
and banners are made; update monthly calendar. Work hard to
keep people involved and active; help all committees and
attend all activities.
Environmental/ Energy Chair- Attend all meetings; responsible
for completing for four Energy/Environmental projects per
month and to complete and submit the “Outstanding Energy”
state report by deadline; work hard to keep people involved and
active; help all committees and attend all activities.
Drugs Alcohol Safety and Health (DASH) Chair- Attend all
meetings; promote safety and health issues, projects and
activities, include community service projects regarding the
well-being of the populace; responsible for completing four
DASH projects per month; responsible for all projects
concerning drug and alcohol awareness and for completion and
submission of the “Outstanding DASH” state report by
deadline; work hard to keep people involved and active; help
all committees and attend all activities.
Pride and Patriotism Chair- Attend all meetings; responsible
for fostering a sense of pride in Student Council, the school the
community the state and the country through spirit activities
cultural respect and pride activities banners, posters, fliers, and
projects that uplift and inspire; responsible for completing four
Pride and Patriotism projects per month; complete and submit
by deadline the “ Pride and Patriotism” state report; work hard
to keep people involved and active; help all committees and
attend all activates.
3. At the discretion of the sponsor, along with the previous
year’s President and Vice- President, and the newly elected
President and Vice- President, the office of secretary and
treasurer may be combined and there may be only one or
more Chairs designated to Energy, DASH, and Pride and
Patriotism Committees. This will depend upon qualified
officer candidates and the amount of work planned. Special
offices may be designated to meet special needs.
4. Student Council officers are required to attend the state
leadership summer workshops the summer after being elected
or else forfeit their office. Death in the family, illness, and
substitutes of another leadership workshop or, other situation
upon sponsors’ discretion may be cause to waive the rule.
5. Members- A member of Student Council is greatly depended
upon. Members are what make up a Student Council. A member
will willingly volunteer, support, and participate in all school/
Student Council sponsored activities. He/ She will follow all
rules of the constitution and parliamentary procedure in all
school/ Student Council activities. Like the officers, members
must also attend all Student Council meetings. In order to be
considered a member you must maintain the requirements in
Article III, Sections A, B, C.
6. Committees- The standing committees will be Pride and
Patriotism, Energy and Environment, and DASH (Drug, Alcohol,
Safety, Health). The chair of each committee will oversee the
completion of projects by the committees. Members may serve
on as many committees as their time permits. The president, vicepresident, secretary, and public relation/ historian are the exofficio members of all committees.
SECTION C.
Removal of Officers and/ or members
1. Failure to maintain a participating average twice in one school
year will result in officers being removed from duties.
2. Failure of an officer to satisfactory meet the requirements of an
active member in good standing will result in officers being
removed from duties.
3. In the case that the office of President is vacated, the VicePresident will automatically be assigned the duties of
President. The Vice-President office shall be appointment
process of the sponsor and President.
4. In the case that an office other than the President is vacated, the
President and sponsor and any other officer they deem
necessary shall meet to appoint a member to the vacated office.
5. Failure of an active member to abide by the Code of Conduct
will result in possible removal upon discussion of sponsor,
President, and Vice-President.
ARTICLE V
EARNING OF A STUDENT COUNCIL
JACKET OR LETTER OF AWARD
1. Student Council letter jacket awards are paid by the principal
our of Student Activity monies.
2. See Article III, Sections B and C for active member/ officer
requirements. The student must have been an active member in
good standing a minimum of two consecutive full years.
3. Additionally, he/she also must have satisfactorily completed
his/ her duties up to the time the state reports are due in the
year they are eligible. This may be waived by the sponsor and
the awards committee in the case of a graduating senior in
December of his/ her senior year, if the student has met all
other requirements.
4. The student must have applied to run for office the next year
(unless a graduating senior) and must be meeting all
requirements of an active Student Council member (and
officer, if elected) on a consistent basis even after the two year
minimum of active membership has been fulfilled.
5. The student must have attended at least one TASC Summer
workshop, Arlington State Convention, or two consecutive
district conventions.
6. A letter jacket recipient must be recommended by an awards
committee composed of the sponsor, principle, president, and
vice-president who shall evaluate those individuals that meet
the requirements in the letter jacket policy and administrative
regulation.
7. Actions which result in unfavorable behavior of Socorro High
School may result in reward being revoked.
8. A student may receive only one award during his/her high
school career. (A letter will be awarded to those who receive a
jacket for other activities.)
9. A recipient may have no more that five (5) excused absences
from school per semester. If more that five (5) excused
absences occur due to unforeseen circumstances, the limit of
five excused absences may be waived by the sponsor.
10. The student may have no unexcused absences during the
semester in which the award is being considered. This
requirement may be waived by the awards committee upon the
recommendation of the sponsor and awards committee.
11. The student must be enrolled in a minimum of five units of
class work for the academic year in which participation occurs.
12. The student’s over-all leadership conduct shall be considered
by the sponsor and awards committee in issuing him/her the
award.
13. The student must have a passing average for all classes the
semester the award is being considered.
14. A decision of the awards committee may be appealed. The
appeal should be according to the following guidelines:
a. Within five working days of the notification of the
awards committee’s selections, the student/ parent may
appeal the decision to the principle. Appeals must be
made in writing.
b. Within five working days of receipt of the appeal, the
principle will conduct a hearing and render a decision
in writing.
c. Within five working days, the student/ parent may
appeal the decision of the principle to the
superintendent; appeals must be made in writing.
ARTICLE VI
EARNING OF AN HONOR CORD
AS A SENIOR GRADUATE
1. The student must be an active member, in good standing for a
minimum of three years. (Exceptions may be made upon
discretion of awards committee).
2. Student will receive Colombian Blue and White honor cords
prior to the Senior Awards Ceremony.
ARTICLE VII
FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS AND
PROVISIONS FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS
1. General meetings will be held on a weekly basis after school or
as determined by the officers.
2. Executive meetings of the officers will be held before the
school year begins to plan the entire year. The sponsor or
substitute sponsor must be present. The officers will meet as
needed to reevaluate goals and goal completion.
ARTICLE VIII
METHOD AND PROCEDURE FOR
RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION
The constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority of the council.
(Changes may be made to this constitution prior to its ratification).
ARTICLE IX
PROVISIONS FOR AMENDING
THE CONSTITUTION
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote by the council provided
that a written copy of the proposed amendment has been submitted to the council and to
the secretary that was followed by open discussion.
ARTICLE X
For any procedure not mentioned in the above articles, refer to Robert’s Rules of Order
Revised as the official source of parliamentary procedures as well as the discretion of the
present Student Council.
This constitution has been amended by the 20011-2012 Student Council Officers and is
supported by the Student Activities Director and the principle of Socorro High School.
Section #2
II. Projects
A. Improve School Pride
Date: August 1, 2011 to November 18, 2011
Title of Project: Wrapping of the Bulldog
Objective: To promote school spirit and support the Socorro High School Football Team
Indicate Target Group: Socorro High School Student Body, Staff, Socorro Mad Dog
Football Team, community.
Resources Used: Ribbons of multiple colors, Party Streamers, and Assorted Decorations.
Description of Project:
In order to motivate the football team, promote school spirit, celebrate special occasions,
and promote students attendance to football games, Socorro High School Student
Council wrapped the Bulldog in the West entrance to the ‘A’ Building according to the
appropriate theme. The Bulldog was to be unwrapped as a celebratory signal of the
victory of Socorro High School’s Football Team over another team. The wrapping of the
bulldog was renewed every Friday to commemorate upcoming football games, and
special events like: Pink out the SAC, Homecoming, Halloween, Christmas, and Red
Ribbon Week.