SENECA HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT COUNCIL CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
(REVISED August 2015)
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Seneca High School Student Council.
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this organization shall be to promote the general welfare of the school;
to initiate and maintain school spirit and to represent a high standard both in and outside the
school environment.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1: The membership of this organization shall be open to any student.
A. Membership requires individuals to be informed of what is happening and be willing to
play an active role in Student Council.
1. Active role shall be defined as the participation in all mandatory events listed here
a. Freshmen Orientation
b. Homecoming: Game Preparations, Dance setup and/or cleanup, Committee
duties
c. Decide on Seneca
d. Open House
e. Christmas Breakfast: Setup, Food Service, Cleanup
f. Teacher Appreciation Week
g. Clash of the Classes
h. Additional mandatory duties may be included as new events arise.
B. To attend all mandatory meetings scheduled throughout the year, when at least 1 week
notice is given.
C. Any student who would like to apply to become a member of the Seneca High School
Student Council must be assessed by the advisor and faculty as outlined in the
application packet.
SECTION 2: The election of Student Council representatives shall occur annually during the
month of May, including the 8th grade from the Middle School
A. All members are required to attend a formal induction.
B. The representatives shall serve until the time of election of the succeeding year.
C. Students new to the district at the start of the school year may submit a letter to the
advisor outlining why they would like to join Student Council. This letter will be
reviewed by Council and membership will be granted through a majority vote.
SECTION 3: Any member desiring to resign shall submit his/her resignation in writing to the
Executive Board for action.
A. If a member resigns, they will not be permitted to rejoin Student Council during the
current school year.
B. A new application may be submitted for the following year.
SECTION 4: Code of Conduct
A. All members must abide by school rules.
B. School Discipline
a. Must acquire 3 or less detentions throughout the course of the current school
year.
b. In School Suspension (ISS)
i. 1 day = probationary status on Council
1. Probationary status is defined as an official warning, with 1 more
disciplinary issue result in removal
2. Probationary status will be reset at the start of each semester
ii. 2 or more consecutive days = immediate removal
c. Out of School Suspension (OSS)
i. Any days of OSS is grounds for immediate removal from Council
d. Any disagreement with a disciplinary decision should be brought to the attention
of the advisor by the individual council member immediately.
SECTION 5: In such a case where the faculty advisor resigns, or a vacancy is otherwise created,
the principal shall act as advisor until a new faculty advisor will be appointed.
ARTICLE IV
EXECUTIVE BOARD
SECTION 1: The Executive Board of Student Council shall consist of the President, the VicePresident, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
SECTION 2: No student holding the office of President or Vice President for either the National
Honor Society or their Class is permitted to apply for the office of President or Vice President of
Student Council.
SECTION 3: Election and Re-election
A. All candidates running for President and Vice-President must have actively served on
Council for at least two years. All candidates running for Secretary and Treasurer must
have actively served on Council for one year.
B. All officers may succeed themselves.
C. Should an officer be removed from Council, they are not permitted to apply for an
Executive Board position the following year.
SECTION 4: The election of officers shall occur annually during the month of May.
A. Qualified students must follow the procedures outlined by the application packet.
B. The officers shall take office following the elections.
C. Students attending the Erie County Vocational Technical School or RCI classes, may hold
an office on the Executive Board as deemed appropriate by the Advisor.
a. Any student wishing to hold an Executive Board position and attend these other
classes during the school day should discuss their availability and intentions with
the advisor before turning in their application packet.
b. Should a student attending either of the above mentioned classes become a
member of the Executive Board, their schedule may dictate when regular
scheduled meetings are held.
SECTION 5: An Executive Board office carries with it certain responsibilities to Council…
A. President
a. Call meetings to order
b. Have all papers necessary to that meeting’s business
c. Announce the business to be discussed
d. State and put to vote all questions
e. Respond to inquiries of members relating to the business of Council
f. See that all duties are carried out by each Council member
g. Appoint committees and committee chairs as necessary
i. Maintain a list of all committees and their members
ii. Understand and help facilitate the duties of each committee created
h. Maintain communication of all Council activities with the advisor and all
members
i. Prepare an agenda 24 hours before a meeting
j. Declare meeting adjournment
B. Vice-President
a. Accept the role of President if the President for any reason vacates or resigns
from the office
b. Take over secretarial duties when the Secretary is not present
c. Aid the President in all tasks
d. Oversee Homecoming Parade Marshals
i. If the appointed Homecoming Parade Marshals are negligent in their
duties, find a replacement for all necessary events
e. Monitor attendance at mandatory events and keep discipline records for
unexcused absences and demerits issued.
C. Secretary
a. Take meeting and event attendance
b. Keep minutes of every meeting including the members not in attendance
c. Type and submit a copy of the minutes to the advisor within 2 days of the
meeting
d. Call meetings to order and preside in the absence of the President and VicePresident
D. Treasurer
a. Sign “Authorization of Payment” forms
b. Submit a financial report at each meeting
SECTION 6: Any executive board member that does not fulfil the duties detailed in Section 5
shall be removed from the executive board.
SECTION 7: Should a seat on the Executive Board become available during the course of a
school year, a replacement will be appointed by the advisor. This placement will be temporary
until a council election can be held or the next school year elections take place; the advisor will
determine which method is appropriate given the situation.
ARTICLE V
COUNCIL PROCEDURES
SECTION 1: The Council will meet whenever necessary, meeting at least twice a month. The
President, Faculty Advisor, or Principal may call special meetings. A schedule developed by the
President and Advisor before the opening of school will designate meeting times.
SECTION 2: The chairpersons of the following standing committee will be appointed by the
Executive Board.
A. Spirit Committee
a. Organize Spirit Days: Publicize and Count Points
b. Pep Assemblies: Set meeting times, acquire items if necessary, set up and
participation
B. Freshmen Orientation: create an agenda for the event, facilitate all activities
C. Faculty/Staff Appreciation: small events throughout the year, Teacher Appreciation
Week
D. Homecoming
i. Court: Sashes, crowns, flowers, golf carts, ballot prep and counts, parade
marshal gifts
ii. Dance: DJ, decorations, setup and cleanup crews, pictures, ticket sales
iii. Booth/Banner: rules, ballots, deliver paper, booth placement
iv. Field: decorate, cleanup crew, helium
v. Pep Assembly: plan assembly games, get game approval from
administration, schedule meetings to organize games, purchase items
necessary, participate in the running of the pep assembly
E. Kris Kringle/Christmas Fun: organize Christmas week festivities, determine setup, food
preparation, and cleanup crews for breakfast
ARTICLE VI
DISCIPLINE
SECTION 1: All members of the Council are subject to disciplinary action by the Executive Board
and Advisor through a demerit system.
SECTION 2: Council members with demerits totaling three or more must be removed from
Council.
A. Demerits will be issued for
a. Unexcused absences from meetings (excuses must be presented in writing in
advance of the meeting or within 2 days of a scheduled meeting)
b. Missing mandatory duties as outlined in Article 3 Section 1
c. Not abiding by the Code of Conduct as outline in Article 3 Section 6
B. The Vice-President is responsible for keeping track of demerits and communicating with
the Advisor when demerits have been earned.
SECTION 3: A demerit will be issued by the Advisor. The disciplined member must have written
notification explaining the demerit.
SECTION 4: The Executive Board may meet with any member to discuss their behavior and
participation at any time. The member will be notified 2 days prior to the meeting.
ARTICLE VII
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
SECTION 1: These bylaws may be amended by the Executive Board at any time.
SECTION 2: All changes will be presented in writing at the next full Council meeting and an open
discussion of any adjustments can occur.
SECTION 3: A vote to accept the changes will take place at the nearest full Council meeting after
the adjustments were presented. The changes must receive a minimum 2/3 vote to be passed
and accepted as the new Student Council Constitution.