Constitution

Article I--Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Arkansas Association of Student Councils.

Section 2. It is the purpose of the Arkansas Association of Student Councils to promote student participation in school activities in order to develop good citizenship, leadership, self-reliance, and dependability. This organization will strive to make the local student council an integral part of the local school system. The AASC will serve as a clearinghouse of information, serve as a body for exchanging ideas, provide a leadership training forum for advisors, and promote harmonious relations among the various schools in the organization.

Article II--Membership

Section 1. Active membership shall consist of the secondary public schools and private schools and academies in the state who have paid dues to the association and are members of the Arkansas Activities Association. Dues are payable at any time, and must be paid to the Executive Director. The association year shall run from April 1 to March 31.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall be empowered with the authority to rule on all applications for membership, on eligibility to hold office and on attendance at meetings sponsored by the AASC.

Article III--Meetings

Section 1. There shall be an annual conference of the AASC

Section 2. The number of delegates which each school may send to the annual conference shall be determined by the host school with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. The business of the association shall be conducted in accordance with this constitution and its by-laws within the structure of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Article IV--Nomination of Officers

Section 1. The officers of the association shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a reporter.

Section 2. Nominations and credentials for state office shall be submitted to the Executive Director at least fourteen days prior to the date of the annual conference.

Section 3. Credentials for all offices shall be as follows: written permission from the principal or superintendent of the school to hold office, a written statement from the same administrator that the present council advisor shall return the following year as student council advisor, and a written statement from the advisor that he/she shall attend all planning meetings as well as the next annual conference.

Section 4. The credentials committee shall be appointed by the president. It shall consist of the advisors of the three member schools with the outgoing adult executive committee member serving as chairperson. The committee shall certify the eligibility of each nominated school to hold office, prepare the ballots, conduct the election, and tabulate and certify the results of the election to the conference. The committee may also declare vacant any office for which no school was nominated.

Section 5. No school shall be nominated for more than one office at a time nor shall any officer school be eligible for the same office the following year. A school my only succeed itself in an office has been declared vacant.

Section 6. A vacant office shall be filled by appointment of the executive committee. Upon receipt of proper credentials, the executive committee shall declare the office filled.

Article V--Election of Officers

Section 1 --The officer schools shall be elected by a majority vote of the active member schools present at the conference. Voting shall be by secret ballot at a time and place approved by the credentials committee.

Section 2--The association shall vote on the school and not on the individual. The school elected shall hold the state office to which it is elected and shall select as student to represent the school in the office. The student selected or appointed does not have to be a member of the local council but must have had previous service in student council. The student must attend all conference planning meetings and the AASC summer workshop.

Section 3--Each active member school shall have one vote in the election of officers and in the transaction of other business by the association.

Section 4--The officers-elect shall be installed in their respective offices during the annual meeting of the AASC.

Article VI--Duties of Officers

Section 1. The duties of the President shall be to coordinate all aspects of the annual conference, preside at AASC meetings and appoint necessary committees in cooperation with other officer schools. The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian.

Section 2. The duties of the Vice President shall be to assist the President, to assume the presidential office should it become vacant, to preside at the conference awards dinner and to arrange for the installation of officers.

Section 3. The duties of the Secretary shall be to record and distribute to members schools the conference minutes, and to be in charge of the discussion groups at the annual conference. Literature/Publicity shall be sent to all non-member schools encouraging them to join the AASC. The secretary will assist the Executive Director with on-site registration at the summer workshop.

Section 4. The duties of the Reporter shall be to prepare a historical record of the proceedings of the conference and other AASC activities and to provide at least one copy for each member school The reporter will publish and distribute at least three newsletters throughout the school year to all member schools.

Section 5. Any officer school which fails to attend a planning session and the AASC summer workshop, without just cause for their absence, shall forfeit their office. The office shall then be filled in the same manner as a vacant office.

Article VII--Executive Committee and Advisory Board

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Executive Director, four elected advisors, a recording secretary, student officers and their advisors.

Section 2. The AASC Executive Director shall be elected by the advisors for a three-year term and is eligible for re-election. This person shall have the authority and normal duties that are associated with this position and shall represent the AASC to the public and other organizations. The limitations of this position are those imposed by the AASC constitution and the AASC Executive Committee or advisors.

Section 3. The four elected advisors shall serve four years terms. One advisor shall be elected each year at the annual conference. These advisors must be active student council advisors in their schools. These advisors shall not succeed themselves.

Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall be elected by the advisors for a three-year term that shall be congruent with that of the Executive Committee. The Recording Secretary may succeed himself. The duties shall consist of those requested by the Executive Director and the Executive Committee.

Section 5--The executive director or any combination of three members may call an executive committee meeting. A majority must be present to constitute a quorum. A majority vote of those present is necessary to approve any action of this committee.

Section 6.--The executive committee has the power and authority to act for the membership in all areas unless restricted by this constitution.

Section 7.--There shall be thirteen votes on the Executive Committee. There shall be one vote each for the Recording Secretary, the four elected advisors, student officer representatives, and their respective advisors.

The Executive Director shall vote only in case of a tie vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 8. Voting for the elected AASC adult members of the Executive Committee shall be by secret ballot, unless by acclamation. The outgoing advisor of the Executive Committee shall be in charge of voting procedures.

Section 9.--The AASC advisor board shall consist of the executive director, recording secretary, and the four elected advisors of the executive committee. This board is an advisory group and has no authority in any capacity and may be called into session only by the executive director.

Article Vlll--Arkansas Activities Association Advisory Committee

Section 1. The committee shall perform duties as contained in the constitution and by-laws of the Arkansas Activity Association and the Arkansas Association of Student Councils constitution and by-laws.

Section 2. Members shall be the Executive Director, the Recording Secretary, the four adult advisors of the Executive Committee and the officials of the Arkansas Activities Association and the student representative of the president school.

Section 3. An official of the AAA, the AASC Executive Director, or any combination of two members may call a meeting of the committee. A majority must be present to form a quorum.

Article IX--Finance

Section 1. The Executive Director shall prepare a budget to be submitted to the advisors during the business meeting at the annual conference. If adopted, the budget shall serve as a framework for the financial program for the following year.

Section 2. All funds collected from dues paid by member schools shall be deposited with the Executive Director. The money shall be used to meet expenses incurred by the Executive Committee and Executive Director in transacting the necessary business of the association.

Section 3. Conference fees are to determined by the Executive Committee and collected by the Executive Director.

Section 4. The workshop, conference or any other project must be financed by special fees, assessments, gifts or association funds. Expenditures of AASC monies shall be specified in the budget or approved by the advisors or voted by the Executive Committee. All profit from any project shall be deposited with the Executive Director.

Section 5. A record of all funds must be kept by the Executive Director. All payments must be accounted for by the Executive Director. The Executive Director shall have an annual audit made by a professional auditor and have a report submitted to the Executive Committee.

Article X--Advisors

Section 1. Each member school shall select one or more members to serve as advisors.

Section 2. All business, unless authorized elsewhere in the AASC constitution or by-laws, will be conducted by advisors. Those adults serving as substitute advisors to their school's student delegates may not vote in an election or on any matter of AASC business.

Section 3. Two-thirds of the eligible advisors attending the annual conference may veto any action taken by the Executive Committee.

Article XI--AASC Workshop and Workshop Committee

Section 1 --The AASC shall sponsor a student and advisor leadership training workshop each summer.

Section 2. The AASC workshop committee shall consist of the AASC advisory board, Workshop Director, Assistant Director, Workshop Dean and staff and a student representative who has attended a previous workshop. The Executive Director or Workshop Director may call this committee into session at any time.

Section 3. The Executive Director shall appoint a Workshop Director with approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 4. The Assistant Workshop Director will be appointed by the Workshop Director. The Assistant Workshop Director duties shall be determined by the Workshop Director.

Section 5. The duties of the Workshop Committee are as follows: Plan the program and arrange for the staff, set the time and location, determine the number of delegates, set the fee, approve budget, assign and approve other items.

Section 6. The Workshop Committee must have the AASC Executive Committee approval for any financial obligation other than budgeted items.

Section 7. All registration fees and other income obtained from the workshop shall be deposited with the Executive Director, who shall pay all bills and make a financial report to member schools.

Article XII--Vacancy on the Executive Committee

Section 1. --The AASC executive committee may declare a vacancy of any AASC elected position or office if any members fail to perform the duties and responsibilities of their positions or offices that are implied or set forth in this AASC constitution.

Section 2.--The AASC Executive Committee shall have the authority to appoint another school or advisor for the remainder of the term. However, the member in question shall have the right to a hearing before the Executive Committee before the vacancy is filled.

Section 3. A majority vote of the Executive Committee is required to declare a vacancy. Members of the committee must be present to vote to declare a vacancy.

Section 4. The AASC Executive Committee shall have the authority to appoint another school or advisor for the remainder of the term. The Executive Director shall notify the affected party of the termination.

Section 5. Any adult advisor appointed for a term of two or more years shall not succeed himself.

Article Xlll--Amendments

Section 1. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the president school of the association and to the Executive Director at least sixty days before the annual conference. The Executive Director must submit the proposed amendment(s) to the member schools at least thirty days before the annual conference.

Section 2. Ratification must be by a majority vote of advisors from members schools present at the annual conference and by a majority vote of student delegates present at the same conference. Voting shall be by secret ballot with each member school having one vote.

Section 3. AASC By-laws may be submitted to or by the Executive Committee at any time. All AASC by-laws, upon approval of the Executive Committee, will take effect immediately.

By-laws

1. The AASC shall pay the registration fee for a representative of the president school at the NASC conference.

If the president school is unable to attend the NASC conference, the order will proceed through the order of the succession of officer schools.

If not officer school can attend NASC, the president school may choose to attend a LEAD or SASC conference and be reimbursed for the registration fee.

2. The AASC should pay all expenses as budgeted for the executive director at any function where he/she represents the state association.

3. The AASC fiscal year shall run from January 1st, until December 31^st for income tax purposes. The dues year shall be September 1st to August 31st.

Revised April 4, 1997--Walton Junior High School--Bentonville, AR