CONCORD-CARLISLE REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL SENATE CONSTITUTION
Article I: Philosophy
All members of the school community should have a meaningful voice in determining the policies of the school, in promoting a positive school climate, and in shaping the future of the school. It is essential that each member be kept informed through effective communications and have the power to influence decisions made at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. For this purpose the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Senate is established.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: There shall be six student Senators from each class.
Section 2: There shall be five student officers: Moderator, Moderator Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian.
Section 3: There shall be one Faculty Advisor.
Section 4: The elected student representatives from School Advisory Council and School Committee shall be voting members of Senate for the tenure of their terms. Voting representatives shall be restricted to those representatives who are permanent members of these respective groups.
Section 5: There will be places open for groups who feel that they are not represented in the above election plan. These groups must petition the Senate for such representation, with a maximum of five open seats. Groups can petition the Senate by attending a Senate meeting and presenting their request for representation. These groups should have a write-up to present before the Senate.
Article III: Organization
Section 1: The Senate shall have a Moderator, a Moderator-Elect, and a Secretary.
Section 2: There shall be standing committees in the following areas: Executive, Social Action, Communications, Elections, School Climate, Constitution, and Website.
Section 3: All members of the Senate shall serve on at least one standing committee.
Section 4: The executive committee shall consist of the Moderator, Moderator-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, the Faculty Advisor (ex officio member), and one Senator from each class.
Section 5: In addition to the standing committees listed in Section 2, others may be established according to need by a simple majority vote of the Senate.
Article IV: Senator Elections
Section 1: The rising sophomore, junior, and senior members shall be elected in May. Freshman class representatives shall be elected within the first thirty days of school.
Section 2: All Senators shall be elected by their respective classes, with six Senators elected per class.
Section 3: The Moderator Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian shall be elected on the same day by the current freshman, sophomore, and junior classes.
Section 4: A student who is studying abroad, or is involved in an educational program not located at Concord-Carlisle High School at the time of elections, and is in good standings, may run for a position in Student Senate.
Section 5: A student considered to be in good standings must meet the criteria for extra-curricular activities as detailed in the Student Handbook, and must also obtain the signature of the principal of the school he/she is currently attending. He or she must also be a registered student at Concord-Carlisle High School by the beginning of the following school year.
Article V: Senate Officers Elections and Tenure of Office
Section 1: There shall be a Moderator-Elect elected by all students in the school for a two-year term. The Moderator-Elect shall be a rising junior, and shall become the Moderator as a senior. Candidates for the position of Moderator-Elect must submit proper prerequisite materials to the Elections Committee in order to qualify for the position. Additional restrictions may be placed on the election of the Moderator-Elect, at the discretion of the Elections Committee.
Section 2: In the event that the Moderator-Elect is unable to fulfill his/her position, the Senate will elect a person to fill the position. Any candidate in this situation must be a current or incumbent member of the Senate.
Section 3: The Secretary shall be elected by the full Senate for a one-year term.
Section 4: Each representative shall assume office one week after the conclusion of elections and shall serve until the next year's election.
Section 5: The Moderator-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian shall be elected on the same day as class government elections.
Section 6: The Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian shall be elected in accordance with Article IV, Section 3 to serve a term lasting one year.
Section 7: The Parliamentarian shall be elected by the current freshman, sophomore, and junior classes for a one-year term.
Article VI: Roles of the Officers and Standing Committees
Section 1: Moderator: The Moderator shall preside over all meetings of the Senate as specified in Article X. The Moderator shall be responsible for maintaining an orderly meeting and shall have the right to dismiss anyone disrupting a meeting. The Moderator shall chair the Executive Committee. The Moderator shall facilitate and coordinate the work and efforts of the standing committees. The Moderator must be a member of the senior class.
Section 2: Moderator-Elect: The Moderator-Elect shall preside over the meetings of the Senate in the absence of the Moderator. The Moderator-Elect shall be a member of the Executive Committee. The Moderator-Elect shall facilitate and coordinate the work and efforts of the standing committees. The Moderator-Elect of the Senate involves on-the-job training and will become the Moderator the following year. He/she will assist the Moderator, learn procedure, and meet regularly with the Advisor. He/she will also chair meetings and committees at the request of the Moderator. The Moderator-Elect chairs the Election Committee
Section 3: Secretary: The Secretary shall record Senate attendance, make public minutes of Senate sessions, and carry on correspondence as may be directed by the Moderator or the Moderator-Elect. The Secretary shall preside over Senate meetings in the absence of both the Moderator and the Moderator-Elect. The Secretary shall be a member of the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings and send copies to all Senators, advisors, faculty, and administration. Copies of minutes should be posted in places of easy access to the student body.
Section 4: Treasurer: The Treasurer shall keep track of all Senate Funds, recording all deposits and withdrawals. The Treasurer shall briefly report the financial status of Senate as deemed necessary. The Treasurer shall be elected in accordance with Article IV, Section 3. The Financial Officer shall be a member of the Executive Committee.
Section 5: Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall keep organized records of everything the Senate has ever done. Records shall be hard copies and/or electronic copies, whichever is appropriate. The Parliamentarian shall be a member of the Executive Committee. The Parliamentarian shall be subject to other tasks, based on the discretion of the Executive Committee.
Section 6: Standing Committees: The standing committees shall perform tasks as directed by the Moderator and/or Moderator-Elect. The standing committees shall meet to investigate issues within the scope of their charge and report their findings to the Senate for discussion and vote. The Executive Committee shall set agendas for the Senate meetings and shall appoint Senate members to chair standing committees in accordance with this constitution.
Article VII: Scope and Jurisdiction
Section 1: All matters of concern to the school community are appropriate for consideration by the Concord Carlisle High School Senate.
Section 2: Any matter formulated as a bill and passed by the Senate in accordance with the provisions of Article IX, Section 4: shall be submitted to the administration in accordance with Article IX, Section 4, unless any portion of the bill: Contradicts state or federal law; Interferes with the allotment of school department funds; Interferes with collective bargaining agreements; Impinges upon individual administrative and teacher evaluation; Impinges upon individual teachers' course organization and evaluation of students.
Article VIII: Voting Rights
Section 1: Each class Senator and Council member (as defined in Article II, Section 4) shall have one vote.
Section 2: The Moderator Elect, and Secretary shall each have one vote.
Section 3: The Faculty Advisor shall not have one vote.
Section 4: The Moderator shall not be allowed a vote except on three occasions. If a majority vote is required and there is a tie, the Moderator may vote in the affirmative to cause the motion to prevail. If there is one more in the affirmative than in the negative, the Moderator can create a tie by voting in the negative to cause the motion to fail. If a two-thirds vote is required, he or she may vote either to cause, or to block, attainment of the necessary two-thirds.
Article IX: Procedures
Section 1: The Concord Carlisle High School Senate shall operate as a representative town meeting.
Section 2: The Concord Carlisle High School Senate shall employ Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised as the parliamentary reference for its deliberations.
Section 3: For the transaction of business to occur within the Senate, a quorum of two-thirds of the Senate shall be required.
Section 4: Voting Procedures with respect to bills:
Bills must have been submitted to the secretary at least five school days before a Senate meeting at which the bill may be considered. Bills must have been published at least four school days before a Senate meeting day at which the bill may be considered. By a two-thirds vote of those members present and voting, the Senate may consider a late-filed bill. The Senate shall establish standing rules for the receipt and publication of bills. The executive committee shall place a bill on the agenda or assign the bill to a standing committee of the Senate for research, discussion, and recommendation of the Senate. Majority of the Senate present and voting shall be required to pass a bill. Following an affirmative Senate vote on a bill:
The bill shall be given to the faculty chairs and principal. If the principal approves, and the majority of faculty chairs approve, then the bill is put into effect. If faculty chairs approve the bill by a majority, but the principal does not approve the bill, then the faculty chairs and Student Senate must both revote after hearing and discussing the principal's objections. If the bill passes by a two-thirds majority in both bodies, then it will be put into effect.
If the principal approves the bill, but a majority of the faculty chairs do not support the bill, then the faculty chairs will present their objections to the bill to both the principal and the Senate. The bill will be put into effect if it passes the Senate with a two-thirds majority vote and the principal again signs the bill. If the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the bill and faculty chairs do not place the bill on their agenda within ten school days, the bill will take effect. If the principal approves the bill and faculty chairs do not place the bill on their agenda within ten school days, the bill will take effect. Also, if the faculty chairs approve the bill and the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the bill to the Student Senate within ten school days, the bill will take effect.
Article X: Meetings
Section 1: The Senate shall meet once every other week when school is in session.
Section 2: All meetings of the Senate are open, except executive sessions called by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will decide attendance of the session by a majority vote.
Section 3: Meeting times: The Senate shall meet once every other week during the regular school day based on a rotating block schedule. The meeting times will be published by the tenth day of the school year. Once a quarter there will be an additional meeting for the homeroom representatives, Senate executive committee members, class government, and class government advisors to discuss mutual projects and concerns. The meeting will be during the regular school day on a rotating block schedule as published by the tenth day of the school year.
Section 4: Each spring the Senate shall evaluate its meeting time and establish specific meeting times for the next school year.
Section 5: In order to carry on business a quorum (two-thirds of members) must be present. Such a quorum must include either the Moderator or Moderator-Elect.
Article XI: Senate Attendance and Dismissal
Section 1: Dismissal and reinstatement of Senate members: Grounds for dismissal include lack of attendance (as outlined below) and improper conduct. A senate member may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 2: Attendance policy for senate members: The secretary shall certify the attendance of members at Senate meetings. After December 1, any member whose absences from Senate meetings shall amount to twenty percent of the total number of Senate meetings since the beginning of the school year shall be deemed to have resigned, and a vacancy shall be declared by the secretary. Within five days following such declaration, the former member may request a hearing before the standing committee on elections. Following such a hearing the standing committee on elections may reinstate the former Senate member by a majority vote. If five days elapse without a request for a hearing, or if the standing committee on elections does not reinstate the former Senate member, then the procedures established under Article XII for filling vacancies shall take effect.
Section 3: Impeachment of Senate Officers: A written formal complaint signed by at least half of the Senate must be brought to the Senate in order to impeach a Senate officer. A meeting will take place following the filing of the written complaint with the following people in attendance: the member in question, the Senate Advisor, and the Senate Executive Committee. If a decision is made by the Executive Committee by a majority vote (the member in question will not be allowed to vote), a motion to impeach will be made by an Executive Committee member to the Senate Body. After the impeachment motion is made a two-thirds majority vote is needed to begin the trial. A two-thirds majority vote is needed to convict and dismiss the Executive Board member. The senate will elect a replacement to any seat vacated by an officer. This newly elected person must either be a member or incumbent member of senate.
Article XII: Senate Vacancies
Section 1: When any office in the Senate (Moderator, Moderator-Elect, and Secretary) is permanently vacated, a successor shall be elected by and from the Senate to serve the unexpired term in accordance with Article IV.
Section 2: The class from which the new officer comes shall elect a new Senator.
Section 3: When any seat in the Senate is declared vacant, the seat shall be filled by the candidate who represents the constituency of the vacated seat and who attained the next highest number of votes in the most recent Senate elections for that seat. If the class to which the Senator belongs had six or less candidates, applications for the position shall be accepted for one week following the declaration of vacancy, and an election in the Senate shall follow.
Article XIII: School Elections
Section 1: The standing committee on elections, authorized under Article III, Section 2, shall conduct all school elections, both class officer elections and senate elections.
Article XIV: Bill of Rights
Section 1: The Senate shall support and defend the following rights of all members of the school community: To express freely and peaceably, in speech and in writing, opinions and ideas; To distribute printed materials on school grounds before school, during school, and after school hours; To assemble freely and peaceably in any manner, before school, during school, and after school, so long as such gatherings do not disrupt the educational process; To defend against an accusation before any discipline, suspension, expulsion, termination, or other major action may occur; To petition for redress of grievances; To be free from physical and verbal harassment.
Article XV: Club Charter
Section 1: Any school group desiring to organize a club shall apply to the Student Senate for a charter. Applicants must submit a copy of the charter application and a Constitution of their club.
Section 2: At the time of application, each group shall state its purpose and must present a set of rules and regulations by which it proposes to govern itself.
Section 3: If the Student Senate approves the request it shall issue a one-year charter. Following the one-year trial period the club must present an account of its activities and, on the basis of this report, the Student Senate shall determine if the club's charter is to be extended or revoked.
Article XVI: Amendments
Section 1: Two-thirds of the Senate present and voting shall be required to pass an amendment.
Section 2: Following an affirmative Senate vote on an amendment:
The amendment shall be given to the faculty chairs and principal. If the principal approves, and two-thirds of faculty chairs approve, then the amendment is put into effect. If faculty chairs approve the amendment by a two-thirds majority, but the principal does not approve the amendment, then the faculty chairs and Student Senate must both revote after hearing and discussing the principal's objections. If the amendment passes by a three-fourths majority in both bodies, then it will be put into effect. If the principal approves the amendment, but a two-thirds majority of the faculty chairs do not support the amendment, then the faculty chairs will present their objections to the amendment to both the principal and the Senate. The amendment will be put into effect if it passes the Senate with a three-fourths majority vote and the principal again signs the amendment. If the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the amendment and faculty chairs do not place the amendment on their agenda within ten school days, the amendment will take effect. If the principal approves the amendment and faculty chairs do not place the amendment on their agenda within ten school days, the amendment will take effect. Also, if the faculty chairs approve the amendment and the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the amendment to the Student Senate within ten school days, the amendment will take effect.
Article XVII: Ratification
Section 1: This Constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate, two-thirds majority vote of the faculty chairs, and the principal's signature.
Section 2: This Constitution shall take effect upon ratification.
Arthur Dulong, Ammending Principal
Madeleine Haff, Ammending Senate Moderator
Robert Furey, Representative of the Ammending Department Chairs
Article I: Philosophy
All members of the school community should have a meaningful voice in determining the policies of the school, in promoting a positive school climate, and in shaping the future of the school. It is essential that each member be kept informed through effective communications and have the power to influence decisions made at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. For this purpose the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Senate is established.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: There shall be six student Senators from each class.
Section 2: There shall be five student officers: Moderator, Moderator Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian.
Section 3: There shall be one Faculty Advisor.
Section 4: The elected student representatives from School Advisory Council and School Committee shall be voting members of Senate for the tenure of their terms. Voting representatives shall be restricted to those representatives who are permanent members of these respective groups.
Section 5: There will be places open for groups who feel that they are not represented in the above election plan. These groups must petition the Senate for such representation, with a maximum of five open seats. Groups can petition the Senate by attending a Senate meeting and presenting their request for representation. These groups should have a write-up to present before the Senate.
Article III: Organization
Section 1: The Senate shall have a Moderator, a Moderator-Elect, and a Secretary.
Section 2: There shall be standing committees in the following areas: Executive, Social Action, Communications, Elections, School Climate, Constitution, and Website.
Section 3: All members of the Senate shall serve on at least one standing committee.
Section 4: The executive committee shall consist of the Moderator, Moderator-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, the Faculty Advisor (ex officio member), and one Senator from each class.
Section 5: In addition to the standing committees listed in Section 2, others may be established according to need by a simple majority vote of the Senate.
Article IV: Senator Elections
Section 1: The rising sophomore, junior, and senior members shall be elected in May. Freshman class representatives shall be elected within the first thirty days of school.
Section 2: All Senators shall be elected by their respective classes, with six Senators elected per class.
Section 3: The Moderator Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian shall be elected on the same day by the current freshman, sophomore, and junior classes.
Section 4: A student who is studying abroad, or is involved in an educational program not located at Concord-Carlisle High School at the time of elections, and is in good standings, may run for a position in Student Senate.
Section 5: A student considered to be in good standings must meet the criteria for extra-curricular activities as detailed in the Student Handbook, and must also obtain the signature of the principal of the school he/she is currently attending. He or she must also be a registered student at Concord-Carlisle High School by the beginning of the following school year.
Article V: Senate Officers Elections and Tenure of Office
Section 1: There shall be a Moderator-Elect elected by all students in the school for a two-year term. The Moderator-Elect shall be a rising junior, and shall become the Moderator as a senior. Candidates for the position of Moderator-Elect must submit proper prerequisite materials to the Elections Committee in order to qualify for the position. Additional restrictions may be placed on the election of the Moderator-Elect, at the discretion of the Elections Committee.
Section 2: In the event that the Moderator-Elect is unable to fulfill his/her position, the Senate will elect a person to fill the position. Any candidate in this situation must be a current or incumbent member of the Senate.
Section 3: The Secretary shall be elected by the full Senate for a one-year term.
Section 4: Each representative shall assume office one week after the conclusion of elections and shall serve until the next year's election.
Section 5: The Moderator-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian shall be elected on the same day as class government elections.
Section 6: The Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian shall be elected in accordance with Article IV, Section 3 to serve a term lasting one year.
Section 7: The Parliamentarian shall be elected by the current freshman, sophomore, and junior classes for a one-year term.
Article VI: Roles of the Officers and Standing Committees
Section 1: Moderator: The Moderator shall preside over all meetings of the Senate as specified in Article X. The Moderator shall be responsible for maintaining an orderly meeting and shall have the right to dismiss anyone disrupting a meeting. The Moderator shall chair the Executive Committee. The Moderator shall facilitate and coordinate the work and efforts of the standing committees. The Moderator must be a member of the senior class.
Section 2: Moderator-Elect: The Moderator-Elect shall preside over the meetings of the Senate in the absence of the Moderator. The Moderator-Elect shall be a member of the Executive Committee. The Moderator-Elect shall facilitate and coordinate the work and efforts of the standing committees. The Moderator-Elect of the Senate involves on-the-job training and will become the Moderator the following year. He/she will assist the Moderator, learn procedure, and meet regularly with the Advisor. He/she will also chair meetings and committees at the request of the Moderator. The Moderator-Elect chairs the Election Committee
Section 3: Secretary: The Secretary shall record Senate attendance, make public minutes of Senate sessions, and carry on correspondence as may be directed by the Moderator or the Moderator-Elect. The Secretary shall preside over Senate meetings in the absence of both the Moderator and the Moderator-Elect. The Secretary shall be a member of the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings and send copies to all Senators, advisors, faculty, and administration. Copies of minutes should be posted in places of easy access to the student body.
Section 4: Treasurer: The Treasurer shall keep track of all Senate Funds, recording all deposits and withdrawals. The Treasurer shall briefly report the financial status of Senate as deemed necessary. The Treasurer shall be elected in accordance with Article IV, Section 3. The Financial Officer shall be a member of the Executive Committee.
Section 5: Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall keep organized records of everything the Senate has ever done. Records shall be hard copies and/or electronic copies, whichever is appropriate. The Parliamentarian shall be a member of the Executive Committee. The Parliamentarian shall be subject to other tasks, based on the discretion of the Executive Committee.
Section 6: Standing Committees: The standing committees shall perform tasks as directed by the Moderator and/or Moderator-Elect. The standing committees shall meet to investigate issues within the scope of their charge and report their findings to the Senate for discussion and vote. The Executive Committee shall set agendas for the Senate meetings and shall appoint Senate members to chair standing committees in accordance with this constitution.
Article VII: Scope and Jurisdiction
Section 1: All matters of concern to the school community are appropriate for consideration by the Concord Carlisle High School Senate.
Section 2: Any matter formulated as a bill and passed by the Senate in accordance with the provisions of Article IX, Section 4: shall be submitted to the administration in accordance with Article IX, Section 4, unless any portion of the bill: Contradicts state or federal law; Interferes with the allotment of school department funds; Interferes with collective bargaining agreements; Impinges upon individual administrative and teacher evaluation; Impinges upon individual teachers' course organization and evaluation of students.
Article VIII: Voting Rights
Section 1: Each class Senator and Council member (as defined in Article II, Section 4) shall have one vote.
Section 2: The Moderator Elect, and Secretary shall each have one vote.
Section 3: The Faculty Advisor shall not have one vote.
Section 4: The Moderator shall not be allowed a vote except on three occasions. If a majority vote is required and there is a tie, the Moderator may vote in the affirmative to cause the motion to prevail. If there is one more in the affirmative than in the negative, the Moderator can create a tie by voting in the negative to cause the motion to fail. If a two-thirds vote is required, he or she may vote either to cause, or to block, attainment of the necessary two-thirds.
Article IX: Procedures
Section 1: The Concord Carlisle High School Senate shall operate as a representative town meeting.
Section 2: The Concord Carlisle High School Senate shall employ Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised as the parliamentary reference for its deliberations.
Section 3: For the transaction of business to occur within the Senate, a quorum of two-thirds of the Senate shall be required.
Section 4: Voting Procedures with respect to bills:
Bills must have been submitted to the secretary at least five school days before a Senate meeting at which the bill may be considered. Bills must have been published at least four school days before a Senate meeting day at which the bill may be considered. By a two-thirds vote of those members present and voting, the Senate may consider a late-filed bill. The Senate shall establish standing rules for the receipt and publication of bills. The executive committee shall place a bill on the agenda or assign the bill to a standing committee of the Senate for research, discussion, and recommendation of the Senate. Majority of the Senate present and voting shall be required to pass a bill. Following an affirmative Senate vote on a bill:
The bill shall be given to the faculty chairs and principal. If the principal approves, and the majority of faculty chairs approve, then the bill is put into effect. If faculty chairs approve the bill by a majority, but the principal does not approve the bill, then the faculty chairs and Student Senate must both revote after hearing and discussing the principal's objections. If the bill passes by a two-thirds majority in both bodies, then it will be put into effect.
If the principal approves the bill, but a majority of the faculty chairs do not support the bill, then the faculty chairs will present their objections to the bill to both the principal and the Senate. The bill will be put into effect if it passes the Senate with a two-thirds majority vote and the principal again signs the bill. If the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the bill and faculty chairs do not place the bill on their agenda within ten school days, the bill will take effect. If the principal approves the bill and faculty chairs do not place the bill on their agenda within ten school days, the bill will take effect. Also, if the faculty chairs approve the bill and the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the bill to the Student Senate within ten school days, the bill will take effect.
Article X: Meetings
Section 1: The Senate shall meet once every other week when school is in session.
Section 2: All meetings of the Senate are open, except executive sessions called by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will decide attendance of the session by a majority vote.
Section 3: Meeting times: The Senate shall meet once every other week during the regular school day based on a rotating block schedule. The meeting times will be published by the tenth day of the school year. Once a quarter there will be an additional meeting for the homeroom representatives, Senate executive committee members, class government, and class government advisors to discuss mutual projects and concerns. The meeting will be during the regular school day on a rotating block schedule as published by the tenth day of the school year.
Section 4: Each spring the Senate shall evaluate its meeting time and establish specific meeting times for the next school year.
Section 5: In order to carry on business a quorum (two-thirds of members) must be present. Such a quorum must include either the Moderator or Moderator-Elect.
Article XI: Senate Attendance and Dismissal
Section 1: Dismissal and reinstatement of Senate members: Grounds for dismissal include lack of attendance (as outlined below) and improper conduct. A senate member may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 2: Attendance policy for senate members: The secretary shall certify the attendance of members at Senate meetings. After December 1, any member whose absences from Senate meetings shall amount to twenty percent of the total number of Senate meetings since the beginning of the school year shall be deemed to have resigned, and a vacancy shall be declared by the secretary. Within five days following such declaration, the former member may request a hearing before the standing committee on elections. Following such a hearing the standing committee on elections may reinstate the former Senate member by a majority vote. If five days elapse without a request for a hearing, or if the standing committee on elections does not reinstate the former Senate member, then the procedures established under Article XII for filling vacancies shall take effect.
Section 3: Impeachment of Senate Officers: A written formal complaint signed by at least half of the Senate must be brought to the Senate in order to impeach a Senate officer. A meeting will take place following the filing of the written complaint with the following people in attendance: the member in question, the Senate Advisor, and the Senate Executive Committee. If a decision is made by the Executive Committee by a majority vote (the member in question will not be allowed to vote), a motion to impeach will be made by an Executive Committee member to the Senate Body. After the impeachment motion is made a two-thirds majority vote is needed to begin the trial. A two-thirds majority vote is needed to convict and dismiss the Executive Board member. The senate will elect a replacement to any seat vacated by an officer. This newly elected person must either be a member or incumbent member of senate.
Article XII: Senate Vacancies
Section 1: When any office in the Senate (Moderator, Moderator-Elect, and Secretary) is permanently vacated, a successor shall be elected by and from the Senate to serve the unexpired term in accordance with Article IV.
Section 2: The class from which the new officer comes shall elect a new Senator.
Section 3: When any seat in the Senate is declared vacant, the seat shall be filled by the candidate who represents the constituency of the vacated seat and who attained the next highest number of votes in the most recent Senate elections for that seat. If the class to which the Senator belongs had six or less candidates, applications for the position shall be accepted for one week following the declaration of vacancy, and an election in the Senate shall follow.
Article XIII: School Elections
Section 1: The standing committee on elections, authorized under Article III, Section 2, shall conduct all school elections, both class officer elections and senate elections.
Article XIV: Bill of Rights
Section 1: The Senate shall support and defend the following rights of all members of the school community: To express freely and peaceably, in speech and in writing, opinions and ideas; To distribute printed materials on school grounds before school, during school, and after school hours; To assemble freely and peaceably in any manner, before school, during school, and after school, so long as such gatherings do not disrupt the educational process; To defend against an accusation before any discipline, suspension, expulsion, termination, or other major action may occur; To petition for redress of grievances; To be free from physical and verbal harassment.
Article XV: Club Charter
Section 1: Any school group desiring to organize a club shall apply to the Student Senate for a charter. Applicants must submit a copy of the charter application and a Constitution of their club.
Section 2: At the time of application, each group shall state its purpose and must present a set of rules and regulations by which it proposes to govern itself.
Section 3: If the Student Senate approves the request it shall issue a one-year charter. Following the one-year trial period the club must present an account of its activities and, on the basis of this report, the Student Senate shall determine if the club's charter is to be extended or revoked.
Article XVI: Amendments
Section 1: Two-thirds of the Senate present and voting shall be required to pass an amendment.
Section 2: Following an affirmative Senate vote on an amendment:
The amendment shall be given to the faculty chairs and principal. If the principal approves, and two-thirds of faculty chairs approve, then the amendment is put into effect. If faculty chairs approve the amendment by a two-thirds majority, but the principal does not approve the amendment, then the faculty chairs and Student Senate must both revote after hearing and discussing the principal's objections. If the amendment passes by a three-fourths majority in both bodies, then it will be put into effect. If the principal approves the amendment, but a two-thirds majority of the faculty chairs do not support the amendment, then the faculty chairs will present their objections to the amendment to both the principal and the Senate. The amendment will be put into effect if it passes the Senate with a three-fourths majority vote and the principal again signs the amendment. If the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the amendment and faculty chairs do not place the amendment on their agenda within ten school days, the amendment will take effect. If the principal approves the amendment and faculty chairs do not place the amendment on their agenda within ten school days, the amendment will take effect. Also, if the faculty chairs approve the amendment and the principal does not communicate a plan of action regarding the amendment to the Student Senate within ten school days, the amendment will take effect.
Article XVII: Ratification
Section 1: This Constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate, two-thirds majority vote of the faculty chairs, and the principal's signature.
Section 2: This Constitution shall take effect upon ratification.
Arthur Dulong, Ammending Principal
Madeleine Haff, Ammending Senate Moderator
Robert Furey, Representative of the Ammending Department Chairs
