Ed. Note: Text added or deleted from the Constitution by the April 2001 amendments are designated by gray or strikethrough.
This organization shall be known as the Student Government Organization of the North Shore High School, hereinafter referred to as the S.G.O.
The purpose of this organization shall be:
1. To develop a higher regard for and a deeper sense of loyalty to North Shore High School.
2. To promote a closer relationship between the faculty and the student body in a effort to solve problems of mutual concern, and to serve as a medium of communication between these groups.
3. To serve as a coordinating body for student activities within the school.
4. To serve as a body for the expression of the student voice and to carry out projects deemed necessary by the student body.
ARTICLE III. THE G.O. COUNCIL:
1. Each class shall have 10 elected reps to the G.O. Council. In addition there shall be 2 alternates per class. Each class will have one week to assemble a list of 10 volunteers through the homerooms.
2. If there are more than 10 volunteers, elections will be held through the homerooms and the top 10 will become representatives, with the two next highest becoming alternates for their class.
3. If there are less than 10 volunteers per class it is advised that the class officers appoint reps or fill in themselves until the vacancies can be filled by members of their class.
1. Each class shall have 10 elected Representatives to the S.G.O. Council. The four class officers shall by default serve as S.G.O. Representatives, and the other six positions shall be filled as stipulated in the constitution of that class. Both the representatives and the class officers shall be required to attend the weekly S.G.O. meetings.
2. Should less than 10 Representatives be present at a meeting of the S.G.O., Alternates shall be chosen from other members of that class present at that meeting. Should the number of volunteers exceed the number of vacant positions, the S.G.O. President reserves the right to choose which of them shall serve as Alternates. If there are not enough class members present to fill the vacant positions, the class loses the votes of the positions not filled.
3. Each class shall have until the first of October to assemble a list of Representatives from that class. Any class not having assembled this list by this deadline loses their representation in the S.G.O. Council. The S.G.O. Secretary shall be responsible for keeping the full list of Representatives and ensuring that only these Representatives (or their Alternates) are entitled to a vote.
5. The G.O. Officers shall not vote unless there is a tie, in which case the President shall vote to break the tie.
6. The G.O. Council shall represent the student body of the high school. It shall consider proposals and grievances from the student body and shall take steps to implement its decisions.
7. The elected officers shall, in addition to their other duties, act as an executive board to supervise the implementation of policies decided upon by the G.O. Council
8. The faculty advisor shall advise the G.O. Council as to the best course of action on questions which come before it.
ARTICLE IV. QUALIFICATIONS AND ELECTION OF DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES
1. Any student who is a member of his/her class may represent it as its delegate or alternate.
2. 10 delegates and 2 alternates shall be elected from each class in the fall of each year before the first of October. These elections are to be administered by the executive board.
3. The delegates and alternates shall serve from the tome of their election until the end of the school year, unless they are replaced due to lack of attendance at meetings.
ARTICLE V. QUALIFICATIONS AND ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS
1. Any high school student may run for S.G.O. office providing that:
A. The candidate is a member in good standing of the Freshman, Sophmore or Junior class at the time of election. In other words, the candidate must be passing each of their courses as of the end of third quarter, cumulatively. If a student fails to meet the eligibility requirements dictated in Article 5, section 1, Part A, the student may appeal his/her case to the senior election committee. The appeal procedures appear in the Election Procedures of the S.G.O. by laws.
B. The candidate presents a petition in support of his candicacy signed by 5% of the eligible voters. Signatures appearing on the petitions of more than one prospective candidate shall be stricken from both.
C. In addition, any candidate who has been an SGO Officer in the year immediately preceding the year for which he/she seeks re-election must present evidence that he/she has attended at least one SGO meeting in each month of that year, or at least 10 SGO meetings in the entire year.
D. No person serving as an SGO Officer shall be allowed to serve as a Class Officer at the same time.
2. A general election shall be held at which all Freshman Sophmores and Juniors may vote. This election shall take place in the spring of each year not earlier than the first week in May and not later than the first week in June.
3. The election shall be supervised by an election committee chaired by the vice-president and consisting of all Senior members. The committee has the responsibility of establishing the bylaws for the Election Procedures and presenting them to the council for a majority vote by April 1st.
4. After petitions have been filed and validated by the election committee, a primary will be held, if necessary, to limit the number of candidates to three for each office to be filled.
5. An assembly shall be held where candidates for G. O. office may present their qualifications and discuss the policies they represent.
6. A plurality, regardless of size, shall be sufficient to award a candidate the office that is being sought. In the case of a tie, a re-Election shall be held between the candidates involved in the tie. Allowing the two to serve as co-Officers is not an acceptable resolution.
7. Those elected shall hold office from the day following commencement until the day of commencement in the following year.
8. The ballots shall be taken on voting machines. Paper ballots are not an acceptable method of conducting Elections. That nonwithstanding, students who are absent the day of the Election may request an absentee ballot the day following the Election upon verification of their legal absence from school on the Election day.
9. The candidates shall be allowed to display posters in the hallways of the school. There may be no posters posted in classrooms or on any glass surface. These posters may be displayed from the date the candidate's petition is approved. They shall be allowed to be displayed until and including the day of the Election.
10. The candidates, except for the victor in the Election, shall have the right to request the exact numbers of the election results in their respective races. However, this information shall not be released to the general Student Body unless all candidates in that race unanimously agree to release it.
1. Impeachment of a delegate or alternate may be brought about by a petition of 1/3 of the delegate's or alternate's class; and his conviction by 2/3 of the same body after presentation of charges
2. A G.O. officer say be impeached by a petition of a majority of the student body and convicted by a 2/3 affirmative vote of the G.O. Council after presentation of charges.
A. If the president is impeached, the vice-president shall preside at the trial
3. An impeached student shall always have time to prepare and present a defense before a vote is taken on conviction.
4. Should an Officer be found to be failing a course during his term, that Officer shall be suspended from his duties and an Acting Officer shall be designated as specified in Article VII. That Officer shall be immediately reinstated upon presenting evidence that he/she is no longer failing the course. ARTICLE VII. VACANCY IN OFFICE
1. A vacancy in the office of delegate or alternate shall be filled by a special election within the class,to be conducted by the G.O. president.
2. If the president is impeached and convicted or otherwise unable to carry out his/her duties, the vice-president shall take his place.
3. A vacancy in the offices of Board Representative, Treasurer, Secretary or Vice-President shall be fikked by a special election within the G.O. council. Only members of the G.O. council shall be eligible for office.
l. Regular meetings shall be held at least twice monthly at convenient time and place to be decided upon by the G.O. Council at its first meeting of the year.
2. Special meetings may be called by the President, Faculty Advisor, or by a petition of 1/3 of the G.O. council or any 50 students of the school. Meetings will be held at a time decided upon after 24 hours have elapsed.
1. A quorum shall consist of a representative of a simple majority of the delegates present at any meeting.
ARTICLE X. DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE G.O.
1. The G.O. shall have the responsibility of discussing and acting upon all matters brought before it by members of the G.O. Council, the G.O. officers, the student body and the administration.
2. The G.O. shall have the power to charter annually all clubs and student organizations with the exception of the athletic teams.
A. Organizations shall be charted if they meet general qualifications to be determined by the G.O. Council.
B. The G.O. shall also pass a bill setting forth the policies for the removal of a charter.
3. The G.O. shall have the duty to schedule the meeting days and activities of all chartered organizations.
4. The G.O. shall have the power to refuse to grant an arganization the right to hold an activity or a meeting for the following :
A. Failure to obtain a charter or loss of a charter.
B. A prior committment to another organization for the date .
C. Additional reasons to be determined by the G.O. in a general bill regulating activities.
5. The G.O. shall have the duty to inform sthe students of the activities available to them in the school and to register all students for the clubs they want to join.
6. A. The SGO may not move to interfere in the internal affairs of the class governments. That nonwithstanding, the motions of the S.G.O. take precedence over those of the class governments, including clauses of the Constitutions.
B. The affairs of the S.G.O. and those of the class governments shall be independent and separate.
ARTICLE XI. VETO POWER
1. The administration of its representative shall have absolute veto power over all G.O. actions.
2. Amended 12/84: Before exercising this power, the administration must accompany its response with a detailed, written explanation.
1. The Administration is defined as the District Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools, Assistant Superintendent, the School Principal, and Assistant Principal.
2. The S.G.O. may not violate any federal, state, county, local, or any other laws or statutes, and may not violate any explicit district or school policy, nor may it encourage such illegal behavior.
3. Should the Administration wish to override an action of S.G.O. which they see as unfit, they shall make a written complaint and deliver it to the S.G.O. President, as well as the S.G.O. Advisor.
4. That statement having been delivered, the S.G.O. shall elect five representatives to negotiate and discuss with representatives of the Administration to resolve the disagreement.
5. Neither the Administration nor any other outside body may force the clauses of this Constitution to be violated, nor may they induce others to relinquish the rights granted in this Constitution. The S.G.O. must not be forced to partake in any action contrary to its will, binding arbitration and court action excepted.
1. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member of the G.O. Council, or by any G.O. officer, or by a petition of any twenty (20) students of the high school. Inorder for the amendment to pass, it must be approved by a 2/3 affirmative vote of the student body in a ballot supervised by the G.O. President. Before this is done it must first be approved by a 2/3 affirmative vote of the G.O. Council.
ARTICLE XIII. NONDISCRIMINATION
1. This Government may not discriminate with regard to age, disability, ethnicity, financial status, gender, national origin, physical appearance, race, religion, sexual orientation, views and beliefs, nor any means heretofore or hereafter devised, either for or against minorities.
1. The Student Government Organization shall at its meeting immediately following the day of election of Student Government Organization Officers select from its numbers who will during the following school year be a member of the sophomore class, the person it deems most suitable as a representative to the North Shore High School Site Based Management Committee serving for a term beginning the first day of his sophomore year, and expiring concurrent with the conclusion of the final day of his senior year or three years, whichever shall come first. If the Student Government Organization shall not find among its numbers a suitable representative, then they shall select from the entire body of students who shall the following year be members of the sophomore class the person they deem most suitable.
2. The Student Government Organization shall, during the month immediately following the ratification of this amendment, select from its numbers the one sophomore and one senior they deem most suitable as representatives to the North Shore High School Site Based Management Committee, serving for a term commencing immediately and the term of the senior member expiring concurrent with the conclusion of the final day of that same school year and the term of the sophomore member concluding concurrent with the conclusion of the final day of his senior year or three years, whichever shall come first. If the Student Government Organization shall not find among its numbers a suitable representative, then they shall select from the entire body of the class required the person they deem most suitable. This article shall expire cuncurent with the initial execution of the first article of this amendment.
3. The Student Government Organization shall have the sole authority to remove a student member from the Site Based Management Committee. A motion to impeach shall be made, and a simple majority vote shall be necessary to impeach a member, during which time another member shall be appointed to execute the duties of the impeached member in interim, and following the conclusion of impeachment proceedings, a two thirds majority shall be necessary to convict. A letter detailing the reasons for the proposed impeachment and signed by a majority of all of the members of the Site Based Management Committee shall qualify as a motion to impeach. During impeachment proceedings, the Student Government Organization shall appoint one member or officer, excepting the president, to prosecute and one member or officer to defend. The president shall preside over all proceedings. If a vacancy shall occur, the Student Government Organization shall immediately fill the vacancy with a member of the same class as the previous member to complete the remainder of the term.
16 November 2001