Weston High School
Student Council Constitution
I.
II.
III.
Name
1. The student governing organization of Weston High School shall be known as the
Student Council, comprised of a Senate and a Congress.
Purpose
1. The purpose of the Student Council shall be to serve and protect the interests of the
student body; to advise the faculty and administration on matters pertaining to the
student body; to coordinate and promote student activities; to provide a system of
student government.
Organization
1. The Senate shall consist of:
i. Two Senators from each of the four Weston High School classes
ii. One Treasurer
iii. One Secretary
iv. Two Co-Presidents who alternate their non-voting responsibilities
2. The Congress shall consist of:
i. Members from each of the class governments, each with one full vote
ii. The eight Senators (two from each class) each with one full vote
iii. The Treasurer and Co-Presidents of the Senate, each with one full vote
iv. The Secretary of Senate, nonvoting except during a tie
3. A Faculty Adviser, nominated by the administration, should be brought before the
Congress for approval.
IV.
Duties
1. The Co-Presidents of Senate shall run the meetings of Senate, setting the agenda for
the meetings; the Co-Presidents shall also act as spokespeople for the Student Council.
The Co-Presidents are members and chairpersons of the Executive Board. The CoPresidents shall delegate committees as necessary. One Co-President shall act as
President of Congress in the Secretary's absence.
2. The Co-Presidents and necessary Executive Board members shall meet bi-weekly, or
as often as necessary, with the Principal for report and discussion and report back to the
Senate.
3. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Senate meetings; shall be responsible for
proper promulgation of the minutes; shall keep, as instructed, all records of the Student
Council; shall take care of all Senate correspondence; shall keep the register and call roll
at each Senate meeting. The Secretary shall act as President for meetings of the
Congress. A Junior Senator shall take minutes at Senate meetings during the Secretary's
absence. The Secretary is an Executive Board member.
4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the financial assets of the Student
Council and all funds received and disbursed. The Treasurer shall keep accurate records
of all financial matters pertaining to the Student Council and shall make the records
available for inspection at reasonable times. The Treasurer is an Executive Board
member.
5. The Senate has the power to enact policy, other than that overturned by the
Congress, to determine the expenditures of Senate money, and to run day-to-day
operations.
6. The Senate shall run all student government elections, by-elections, and
referendums. The Senate shall be responsible for operating the elections of class
governments, including the offices of class President, Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, and Senator.
7. The Senate shall be responsible for comanizing student activities, including, but not
limited to, Homecoming events.
8. The Congress shall have the power to approve, overturn, and modify Senate actions,
except impeachment proceedings and issues of Senate money, and shall also have the
power to initiate policy, which then must go to a regular Senate meeting.
9. All Class presidents are required to attend at least 50% of all Senate meetings prior to
the Homecoming football game.
10. All class officers are strongly encouraged to attend Senate meetings whenever
possible.
11. Class senators should give brief Senate reports at class meetings.
V.
Committees
1. Any part of the Student Council may form such committees as it deems necessary to
accomplish its goals for the year. Such committees may be of all year duration or for a
specific length of time necessary to accomplish their task.
2. The Chairman of such committees shall establish meeting times; shall establish
procedures for accomplishing the committee's goals; shall report as directed to the
Student Council.
VI.
Elections
1. The elected members of both class and Senate governments shall be elected as this
constitution states.
2. Student body members wishing to be candidates for election must register with the
Student Council advisor through a petition signed by 25 or more student body members
that he or she would represent, allowing class officer or Senate candidates only to
receive signatures from their respective grades, while Executive Board candidates may
receive signatures from any Weston High School student. Upon handing in this petition,
candidates must also sign a contract stating that if elected, he/she will not behave in a
manner deemed unbecoming of a Student Council member, defined in Article VIII,
Section 1, Clause iii.
3. Students must also hand in a brief recommendation from a Weston High School staff
member, in the form of one paragraph, indicating that he/she has the necessary
characteristics to adequately fulfill the responsibilities of a student council officer.
4. To establish eligibility for:
i. Class Senator positions, students must attend at least one Senate meeting in
the calendar year in which the election will be held.
ii. Executive board positions, students who have previously been members of
Student Council must attend two Senate meetings. Candidates with no Student
Council experience must attend four meetings. All meetings for eligibility must be
in the school year of the election, and at least 50% must be in the calendar year
of the election.
5. Each voter shall vote for no more than two class Senators from his or her class.
6. The two candidates for Senator for each grade with the highest number of votes shall
be elected.
7. All candidates for class officer positions are to run separately and will be elected with
a plurality of votes.
8. The Senate Secretary and the Senate Treasurer are to be elected with a plurality of
votes.
9. All class officers and class senators must be members of the class they represent, and
only members of that class may vote in the election for those candidates.
10. All Student Council members must be enrolled in at least four classes at Weston
High School.
11. The elections of both class and Senate offices are to be held prior to June 1 of each
year, with the newly elected members of the Student Council sworn in as of the first of
June every year.
12. All voting during elections shall be by written ballot.
13. In a particular year, Senate may choose whether or not to interview nominees for
Senate or Congress positions. If an interview takes place, answers to a uniform set of
questions will be posted as well as any evaluation the Senate committee chooses to give.
14. The Senate shall hold Freshman elections by the above process in the spring of the
incoming freshman class' eighth grade school year.
15. Executive Board candidates will deliver speeches to the student body prior to the
election. Class officer candidates (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) will
deliver speeches to their respective classes prior to the election.
16. The Senate Co-Presidents candidates shall run on a ticket together.
17. The Senate Co-President ticket with the plurality of votes shall be elected.
18. If there is a tie in any election, a run-off election within a fortnight shall be held. All
rules of the election process are to be observed.
19. All Executive Board members shall be deemed Advisory Members to the Senate after
their term for the remainder of each school year.
20. Losing candidates for the Executive Board positions with a forty percent or better
plurality are automatically eligible as additional senators-at-large with one vote. If CoPresidential candidates are eligible for, and both accept this position, they shall alternate
their vote every Senate meeting.
21. In the calendar year during which elections are held, if any newly elected candidate
resigns or is forced into resignation prior to the end of August, then he/she will be
replaced by the runner-up. If no runner-up exists, then the position will be filled by an
election held no later than September.
22. In the calendar year during which elections are to be held, requirements for the
eligibility of office must be the same as those listed under "conduct unbecoming...” In
addition to this there is also a 1.75 GPA requirement or better for the previous marking
period. Any elected official who violates "conduct unbecoming..." prior to the first Senate
or, for class officers, Congress meeting shall be removed from office, and replaced by the
runner-up for that position. If no runner-up exists, an election to fill that office shall take
place no later than September.
VII.
Meetings
1. A meeting of the Senate must be held at least once for every fortnight of school.
2. A quorum necessary to conduct meetings of the Senate must be held at least once for
every fortnight of school.
3. The agenda for regular Senate meetings shall be determined in advance of the
meeting by a President. Any member may request an item for the agenda.
4. All actions of the Senate must be approved by a majority of the vote.
5. An Executive Session of the Senate from which the public and press are excluded may
be called by a President. No votes or actions may be called during Executive Sessions,
except in matters of impeachment.
6. The Congress must meet at least on a monthly basis during the school year,
excluding January. Summer meetings are not mandated but are strongly recommended.
7. The senior class Secretary shall take minutes during each Congress meeting. If the
senior class Secretary is not present, that responsibility will go to the junior class
Secretary, and then the sophomore and freshmen class Secretaries, respectively. The
minute taker will be responsible for either making copies of the minutes or giving them to
the Senate Secretary so he or she may make copies for the next meeting and for Student
Council records.
8. A quorum necessary to conduct a meeting of the Congress shall be one half plus one
of all possible votes.
9. The meetings of the Student Council shall follow all "Sunshine Laws" as mandated by
the State of Connecticut.
VIII.
Dismissal of Class Officers or Senate Members
1. Any class officer or Senate member may be dismissed from the Student Council for
any of the following reasons:
i. Repeated absence at Senate meetings, for Senate members only. Excuses are
granted at the discretion of the advisor, but examples are sports competitions,
family travel, illness, college visits, etc. Unless it an emergency, the Senate
member should notify the advisor or a fellow Senate member of his or her
absence prior to the meeting. Two unexcused absences will result in
impeachment proceedings.
ii. For class officers and class senators, violation of the attendance
requirements, which shall be defined as follows:
a. Missing more than 25% of class meetings without a valid excuse,
which must also be more than one meeting, in any given academic
marking period. Excused absences will use the same guidelines as
Senate, in Article VIII, Section 1, Clause i.
b. Class meetings included in this count must be clearly communicated
to the appropriate people at least five school days prior to the meeting.
c. Attendance at a meeting is only counted if the member is present for
at least 75% of the duration of the meeting.
iii. Conduct unbecoming a Student Council member, which shall be defined as:
a. Three unexcused absences from class
b. Hosting a party in which alcohol or any other illegal substance is
knowingly served
c. Expulsion or suspension from school
d. Being convicted of a crime
e. Attending a school function under the influence of alcohol or any
other illegal drug
iv. Any of the above violations will be deemed "understandable" or "excused" by
a two-thirds vote of the Senate. A two-thirds vote of the Senate can allow
additional offenses not included above to be defined as "conduct unbecoming a
Student Council member.” These guidelines will apply to Senators, Class
Officers, and Executive Board members.
2. Procedure for impeachment/dismissal is as follows:
i. Any member may raise the issue of a student council member’s questionable
conduct in a Senate meeting. After a motion to impeach the designated member
is made, this may be accomplished by a 1/3 vote of the Senate.
ii. Either the day of impeachment, or at the next Senate meeting, the impeached
individual will have the opportunity to present his/her case to the Senate,
including any desired witnesses.
iii. The individual will then leave the room, allowing Senate to deliberate.
iv. A vote by secret ballot will be held, and a 2/3 majority vote is needed for
removal from office.
v. In the event that the Student Council member in question is not a Senate
member but a class officer, the other three class officers from his/her grade will
be asked to attend the meetings in which all proceedings will be held, and vote
in all related actions.
IX.
Replacement of Class Officers or Senate Members
1. Should the offices of Class or Senate Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, or
President, or Senator become vacant due to resignation or dismissal, the office shall be
filled in the procedures listed under Article VI pertaining to the vacant office. The
election shall be commenced within a fortnight of the office becoming vacant, and
completed within five school days of commencement.
2. If any Senate position becomes vacant, the Senate may deem it necessary by 3/4
vote to let it remain vacant for the duration of the year.
3. All requirements for Senate eligibility shall be waived.
4. Co-Presidential ticket requirements shall be waived if one of these offices is affected.
5. If a vacancy occurs in the class presidency, the class Vice President shall assume that
office for the remainder of the term. An election will be held, under Article VI provisions,
to fill the office of class Vice President. This election must be held within a fortnight of
the appointment of the Vice President to President.
6. Senators-at-large shall not be replaced if their office becomes vacant.
X.
XI.
High School Administration
1. The Principal of Weston High School shall have the power to monitor the actions of
the Student Council, other than Executive Sessions, and shall be able to advise the
Senate and Congress.
Annual Service Awards
1. Every year, at the annual Awards Assembly in June, the student council will present
two awards:
i. The Student Council Award will be presented to the senior who has done the
most for the Student Council in his or her years at Weston High School. The
Student Senate will nominate three seniors, and the Congress will vote by a
written ballot on these candidates. The award will be monetary, in the amount
of the year divided by ten, in dollars and cents. (2004 = $200.40)
ii. The Chris Hinds’ Memorial Award will be a senior class nominated but faculty
chosen award presented to the student who throughout his or her four years in
the high school consistently reached out and made everyone, even those outside
of his/her social group, feel as though they were part of, and important to, the
student body. The award will be monetary, in the amount of $200.
2. The Student Council must, by a week prior to the Awards Assembly, have the
necessary means to pay for the annual awards.
XII.
Amendments to the Constitution
1. Any amendment, alteration, or addition to this constitution may be adopted by a
three-fourths vote of the Congress after a Senate proposal.
XIII.
Ratification
1. This constitution should be ratified and be in effect upon a two-thirds vote of the
Student Council (i.e., the Senate and the Congress).
-May 2004-
Amendments
I. All student council members are hereby required to attend at least one senate
meeting per semester. Effective the 2006-2007 school year.
II. Whereas it is proposed that to better serve the interests of the community of Weston
High School and the Town of Weston, there shall be a refined application process for
organizations who wish to obtain funds from the Student Council. This process will
consist of all of the following elements: the Senate will publicize that funds are available
to organizations, organizations will fill out a readily available form to request funds and
submit it to the Senate (this form will be maintained and reviewed by the Executive
Board), the Senate may choose to ask a representative of the organization requesting
funds to appear before the Senate, this is not required. The full Senate will then vote on
whether or not to provide funds and what amount of funds to provide. Any members of
the Senate who have any immediate relative or are themselves on the board of, a direct
beneficiary of, or have volunteered, interned, or worked (paid or unpaid) for the
organization under discussion, will disallowed a vote in deciding funds to be given to that
organization. Additional modifications may be placed on this process by the Executive
Board. Effective immediately upon ratification.