STUDENT COUNCIL
BY-LAWS
Article I Purpose
The purpose of student council is to build community between the students, staff, and administration at Holy Family Catholic High School. Through meeting this purpose, student participants will develop their planning, organizational, troubleshooting, and leadership skills.
Students who participate in student council should expect to spend considerable time working hard developing, planning and executing all-school events which interest them. Activities which student council will plan and execute may include:
Dances (both formal and informal)
HFCHS bonding events (such as all school meals,
get-to-know you events).
Spirit Events (such as fill the stands nights)
Policy forums in which students develop proposals for change
at HFCHS
Internal organizational tasks including generating council
by-laws
Fundraising activities
Article II Membership
Any student at Holy Family Catholic High School who wishes to be a member of student council may be a member. During the first week of May, current freshmen, sophomores and juniors will have the opportunity to join the council. Interested students will be required to complete an application which will be designed by the moderator and will include a contract for participation and a recommendation. Students must submit the completed form by the end of Friday of the first full school week of May.
Incoming freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to join student council by completing the application by the end of the first Friday during the second week of the quarter they enroll in Holy Family Catholic High School.
Members will remain on the council for the rest of the school year unless they are removed from the council by the moderator due to lack of participation. Lack of participation will include failure to serve on at least four committees per year, attending three student council after school events per year, or having unexcused absences from student council meetings.
Students may resign from student council. To resign, students must submit a resignation to the president of the council. The resignation will be accepted after discussion of the resignation at the next executive committee meeting.
Article III Officers
The student council will have the following officers. Officers will serve a one year term. Officers will need to be able to devote considerable time to council events either before or after school. Officers will be expected to set a positive example for the rest of the council and may be removed by the moderator if they fail to do so.
President - The president will chair all student council meetings and executive committee meetings. The president is automatically a member of all committees and task forces.
Vice President - The vice president will chair all student council meetings and executive committee meetings in the absence of the president. The vice president will be responsible for taking attendance at all full council meetings and functions. Attendance will be submitted (in writing) to the moderator before the end of any full council function.
Secretary / Treasurer - The secretary/treasurer will take minutes of all student council and executive committee meetings. These minutes will be typed and posted in the moderator’s classroom within 2 school days of the meeting. The secretary/treasurer will present executive committee minutes for approval at the next executive committee meeting and will present student council minutes for approval at the next student council meeting. The secretary/treasurer will also be responsible for keeping financial records for the council. The secretary/treasurer’s signature, as well as a moderator’s signature will be required for all deposits and withdraws from the council account. The secretary/treasurer will also present the council with an accurate report of the balance of the council account at every executive committee and student council meeting.
Minister for Policy - The minister for policy will chair the policy committee and will report on the committee’s activities at every executive committee and council meeting
Minister for Innovative Initiatives - The minister for innovative initiatives will chair the innovative initiatives committee and will report on the committee’s activities at every executive committee and council meeting.
Executive Representatives - Each class will have two executive representatives which will represent their class’s concerns during executive committee meetings.
Article IV Election of Officers
Elections for these offices will take place first with nominations and then with a vote. Voting will proceed by successive ballots with the nominee with the fewest number of votes being removed from the ballot until a single candidate has a majority of the votes cast.
Voting will be by secret ballot. Ballots will be counted by the moderator. All members of student council and the moderators will be entitled to one vote in the election of officers except in the case of executive representatives. Executive representatives will be elected by secret ballot of with only the members of the candidates’ class, and the moderator, voting.
There will be no absentee ballots accepted for any officer elections.
Officer elections will occur during the student council meeting scheduled for the third week of May. Executive representatives for incoming freshmen will be elected during the student council meeting during the first week of October.
Article V Committees
Permanent committee chairs are elected by the council. Temporary committee chairs are selected by the president or moderator. The members of committees will be volunteers and student council members. Council members will be expected to serve on at least four committees every year they are members of the council.
Executive Committee - The executive committee will consist of the officers of student council and the moderator. The executive committee will be responsible for planning the agenda of all council meetings. The executive committee will be chaired by the student council president. Each member of the executive committee will be given one vote, with the president exercising his or her vote only in the event of a tie.
Policy Committee - The policy committee will consist of the policy committee chair and other members of the council who volunteer for membership. The policy committee will be responsible for soliciting ideas for change at HFCHS and then developing ideas into polished and convincing presentations to try to accomplish such changes. Members of the policy committee will require an unusual degree of maturity and patience. The minister for policy will chair the policy committee.
Innovative Initiatives Committee - The idea development committee will consist of the minister for innovative initiatives and other members of the council who volunteer for membership. The innovative initiatives committee will be responsible for soliciting new ideas for school bonding activities and researching and developing ideas to the point where they can be executed by the council. Members of the innovative initiatives committee should be both creative and organized. The minister for innovative initiatives will chair the idea development committee.
Article VI Quorum
A quorum shall be on half of the membership of the council or committee plus one. A quorum must be present for all decisions and votes. A quorum will be assumed present unless called.
Article VII Meetings
Student council meetings will occur weekly after school.
Emergency or additional meetings can be called by the executive committee or the moderator.
Meetings will be conducted according to Robert’s rules of order, revised.
Article VIII Voting
Every member and the moderator will be entitled to one vote on questions which arise before the council. The president will exercise his or her vote only in the case of a tie. A simple majority of votes cast will be sufficient to pass any proposal before the council other than specific exceptions noted within these by laws.
Article IX Amendments
Proposed amendments to these by laws must be read to the student council at a regular council meeting. The secretary will make typed copies of the proposal available at least five days before a vote on the amendment. Voting on the amendment must at least seven days after the initial reading of the amendment.
A vote of two thirds of the votes cast will be necessary to pass an amendment to these by laws.
Article X Adoption
These by laws will be adopted on an article by article basis at regularly scheduled council meetings. A vote of two third of those present will be required to adopt each article of these by laws.
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