Created August 11, 2010
Updated August 5, 2013
Tartan High School Student Council Constitution
Article I:
Name and Purpose (Mission Statement)
Section I:
The name of this organization shall be:
Tartan High School Student Council
Section II:
The purpose of this organization shall be to create a positive school
climate at Tartan High School by providing a means for students to be empowered. This
empowerment should result in the respectful treatment of all grade levels, faculty,
administration and support staff. The student council will create an opportunity for all
students to feel a part of the Tartan High School community through participation in
social events, service projects, and the decision making process when asked to do so by
the school’s administration. Finally, this organization will serve as an information source
on student issues to the administration and the school board.
Article II: Source of Power
Section I:
The administration will have veto power over all decisions formed and
pending action by the Student Council. The administration veto should come no later
than five school days after a decision has been made and put in writing by the student
council and provided to the administration.
Section II:
A Student Council issue vetoed by the administration should be reproposed within five school days of the veto by a majority approval vote of the Student
Council or by a majority vote of a student referendum.
Article III: Powers and Duties
Section I:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Student Council shall have the power, by a vote of simple majority of
members to:
Make, legislate and enforce policies necessary for the betterment of conditions
for all students.
Advise the administration in building and personal matters.
Assist in the planning for and preparation of school programs pertaining to the
general student body.
It will be a general policy of the Student Council to develop committees.
Article IV: Membership
Section 1:
For students to be eligible for Student Council membership, the student
must complete a student council application and submit the one staff member referral
forms that are included in the application packet, and attend a candidate workshop. Ten
students from each grade are elected to the student council by a majority vote of the
entire student body (separated by grade). Six members from each grade are selected to
the student council by the student council advisor(s). Furthermore, the regulations of the
Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), including eligibility requirements of a
minimum grade point average (1.8) and an allowed maximum amount of three detentions
and ten required studies will apply to eligibility for running for Student Council Office.
Section 2:
Election of the Executive Board, namely (1) Student Council President,
(1) Student Council Vice President/Social Chair, (1) Student Council Secretary, (1)
Director of Public Relations/Treasurer, (1) School Board Representative/Historian (this
position is guaranteed to be a two year position as requested by the ISD 622
Superintendent), will begin immediately following the election. A primary election for
each position will be held to narrow the candidates down to two finalists. A final election
will determine who will fill the executive office. The order of elections will be as
follows: President, Vice President/Social Chair, Secretary, and Director of Public
Relations/Treasurer.
Executive Board Officers (excluding School Board
Representative/Historian) are elected by a majority vote of Student Council Members and
must receive prior approval from the advisor(s) to run for an Executive Board position.
Student Council members are allowed to run for two Executive Board positions. The
position of School Board Representative/Historian will not be voted on by the Student
Council. This position will be decided by the advisor(s) and the school’s principal. The
process of selection for the position of School Board Representative/Historian will be as
follows: a one to two page essay will be written stating why the applicant wants the
position and why that applicant would be the right fit for the position. Each applicant
will then have a face-to-face meeting with the advisor(s) and the school principal.
Section 3:
1. Election of the sixty Student Council members (20 from current 9th, 10th, and
11th grade) shall be chosen in the spring in a general election process. If any
grade has less than 21 applicants, voting will not be held for that grade. All
applicants for that particular grade will automatically be added to the Student
Council as long as their application packet is fully complete and all other
qualifications have been met.
2. The School Board Representative is automatically a member of Student
Council for a two year term. Twenty incoming freshmen will be elected in the
fall of their ninth grade year. The term begins immediately after election and
ends when the spring elections are finished later that same school year.
Section 4:
Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to vote for candidates in
the executive elections. A committee, appointed by the Student Council, and supervised
by the advisor, will run the spring election. Seniors will not be eligible to vote in the
spring election as they will no longer be students at Tartan High School.
Section 5:
All members are required to adhere to the lettering policy. Members who
fail to earn a letter are not eligible to be on Student Council the following year. Please
see the Lettering Policy for specifics.
Article V: Officers and Duties
Section 1:
Student Council Executive Positions are made up of the following:
President, who must be filled by a senior. Vice-President, Secretary, School Board
Representative, Director of Public Relations, or Social Chair must be filled by a junior or
senior. None of the Executive board positions shall have voting power in general
operations of the student council decisions that require a vote, but they will have voting
power in decisions need to me made by the executive board as well as when amending
the Student Council Constitution. The executive board positions will NOT count against
the total numbers that a grade may have on council due to executive board not having
voting powers.
Section 2:
The Student Council President shall:
a. Attend classes at Tartan a minimum of 4 of the 6 hours a day for the entire school
year
b. Preside at all Student Council meetings
c. Prepare a written agenda for all meetings
d. Appoint heads of committees from the student council
e. Direct all work of the Student Council
f. Call special sessions
g. Appoint a secretary to record minutes or meetings if actual secretary is not present
h. Post letter winners two weeks prior to the end of the year student council banquet
i. Attend all Executive Board meetings
j. Will have no voting power for Student Council except for issues that are decided
by the Executive Board
k. Will have no voting power for Student Council except for issues that are decided
by the Executive Board and when amending the constitution
Section 3:
The Student Council Vice-President/Social Chair shall:
a. Attend classes at Tartan a minimum of 4 out of 6 hours a day for the entire school
year
b. Plan and execute a social event each trimester of the school year
c. Preside at all meetings when the Student Council President is not in attendance
d. Executive Board the
e. Assist the student council president in directing work of the Student Council
f. Prepare and manage incoming Freshmen elections immediately following the start
of the school year
g. Attend all Executive Board meetings
h. Will have no voting power for Student Council except for issues that are decided
by the Executive Board and when amending the constitution
Section 4:
The Student Council Secretary shall:
a. Attend classes at Tartan a minimum of 2 out of 6 hours a day for the entire school
year
b. Record and maintain clear and detailed minutes at all Student Council Meetings
c. Keep an up-to-date attendance record of student council members
d. Publish meeting minutes on the Student Council web page and post on the
Student Council board
e. Attend all Executive Board meetings
f. Work to update any online resources for the council and Assist the Director of
Public Relations/Treasurer in updating any online resources for the Student
Council
g. Will have no voting power for Student Council except for issues that are decided
by the Executive Board and when amending the constitution
Section 5:
The School Board Representative/Historian shall:
a. Attend classes at Tartan a minimum of 2 out of 6 hours a day for the entire school
year
b. Attend all School Board meetings
c. Update the Student Council on the events of every School Board meeting
d. Attend all Executive Board meetings
e. Keep a journal of every activity/event. Include in it what the activity/event was,
what worked well/didn’t work well, how the activity/event could be improved,
how long the activity/event lasted
f. Will have no voting power for Student Council except for issues that are decided
by the Executive Board and when amending the constitution
Section 6:
The Director of Public Relations/Treasurer shall:
a. Attend classes at Tartan a minimum of 2 out of 6 hours a day for the entire school
year
b. Publish Student Council activities/events on the Student Council web page,
Facebook account and the bulletin board
c. Write Thank-you notes to person/persons who have assisted the Student Council
d. Submit a Student Council update to the school newspaper each trimester
e. Notify local newspapers and cable stations of upcoming Student Council
activities/events
f. Attend all Executive Board meetings
g. Assist Vice President/Social Chair in planning social activities/events when
needed
h. Will have no voting power for Student Council except for issues that are decided
by the Executive Board and when amending the constitution
Section 7:
The Executive Board shall:
l. Consist of five members (President, Vice-President/Social Chair, Secretary,
School
Board
Representative/Historian,
and
Director
of
Public
Relations/Treasurer), none of which will have no voting power for Student
Council except for issues that are decided by the Executive Board and when
amending the constitution.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1:
The Student Council shall hold regular meetings as needed– the time to be
set by the Student Council advisor(s) with a minimum of a week in advance notice.
Special meetings may be called by the Student Council President, or upon direct, simple
majority vote of the Student Council, itself.
Section 2:
A quorum of the majority of Student Council members shall be present to
conduct official business.
Section 3:
A plurality (2/3) vote of members present passes new legislation. This can
be altered to a majority within the executive board if full council is not in session for an
issue needing to be addressed immediately.
Article VII – Advisor(s) and Assistant Advisor
Section 1:
The Advisor(s) and Assistant Advisor shall:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Render advice to the Student Council
Oversee student council activities
Sign official documents
Manage the budget and keep the Treasurer up to date and provide updates to the
student council
e. Suggest a calendar of activities for the school year
f. Confirm the placements of the Executive Board members after the elections
g. Conduct officer reviews at every mid-term and every end of term.
Section 2:
The Advisor(s) and Assistant Advisor should attend all meetings of the
Student Council, although the council reserves the power to conduct meetings without
supervision of the Advisor(s), if the Advisor(s) has been notified of such a meeting, in
advance, and the Advisor(s) has approved the written agenda. (This power may be
terminated if determined the power was abused – example: members do not return to
class directly after meeting dismissal).
Article VIII – Amendments
Section 1:
The constitution shall be amended in the following ways:
1.
The written must be proposed and publicized at least one regular meeting (one
week) prior to being voted upon by the Student Council or verbally proposed
at the Constitutional Convention meeting during the summer.
2.
A plurality vote of the Student Council is necessary for passage of a
constitutional amendment.
3.
All amendments shall be put into force upon the commencement of the
required number of votes.
Article VIIII:
Referendum
Section 1:
In order to know the feelings of the entire student body on certain issues a
student referendum can be called.
Section 2:
When an issue comes to the Student Council of such importance that the
Student Council feels the entire student body should vote on it, a student referendum
shall be organized and distributed.
Section 3:
The Student Council shall conduct and total the results of the referendum.
A simple majority of the referendum vote overrides a Student Council decision except in
a constitutional amendment, where a present plurality (2/3) vote is needed.
Article X: Line of Succession (Chain of Command)
Section 1: (Internal)
President
Vice President/Social Chair
Secretary
School Board Representative/Historian
Director of Public Relations/Treasurer
Student Council Members
Section 2: (External)
Principal
Assistant Principals
Activities Director
Student Council Advisor(s)
Assistant Student Council Advisor
Faculty and Staff
Article XI: Lettering Policy (2013-2014)
Please see lettering bylaws.
Section 1:
The Student Council President must post the names of lettering student
council members two weeks prior to the end-of-the-year student council banquet.
Members who wish to appeal the decision must do so in writing one week prior to the
end-of-the-year student council banquet.
Section 2: All Student Council members are expected to adhere to and conduct
themselves, in all Tartan High School venues and arenas, including Tartan High School
sponsored events that may be off of the school’s grounds, in accordance to the Code of
Ethics. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary actions, up to and including removal
from Student Council.
a. All Student Council members must follow Tartan High School’s school rules and
policies at all times when involved in Student Council business. Disciplinary
actions may be taken by the school’s administration if and when needed.