Constitution

Montana Association Of Student Councils
Constitution And By-laws

(Revised 10/2016)

PREAMBLE

The purpose of this association is to promote the cause of student participation in the school community, encourage the development of new student councils, assist student councils to become more effective in school and the community, organize district associations of student councils, provide leadership training, provide student officers and faculty advisors with information and assistance, and promote the student council movement.

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Montana Association of Student Councils.

ARTICLE II – SPONSORSHIP

The Montana Association of Student Councils is sponsored by the Montana Association of Secondary School Principals.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Membership in this Association is open to all schools where grade levels include any or all of 6-12, where student council activities are sponsored, and where membership dues to MASC are paid.

ARTICLE IV – DISTRICTS

SECTION 1: The state shall be divided into districts whose boundaries shall be fixed by the state Executive Committee.

SECTION 2: Each district shall hold a convention, the purpose of which is to discuss problems and achievements of members schools, promote leadership skills, and to select one student and one advisor to the state executive committee.

SECTION 3: The districts, as divisions of the association, shall each have the power to make laws    governing only themselves.  These laws must not conflict with the legislation approved at the annual state conference or the MASC Constitution.

ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SECTION 1: The business of the association between annual conferences shall be conducted by the Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee shall consist of one student and one adult advisor from each district.  The Executive Director, Associate Director, a representative selected by the MASSP, and the student representative to the State Board of Public Education will serve as ex-officio members.

SECTION 2: Student members of the committee must be regularly enrolled in a member high school during their entire term of office from the time of nomination to the time their term expires.  Candidates for President must agree to attend both meetings of the Executive Committee, carefully weighing other foreseeable commitments.  District Presidential candidates must further agree to play an active role in the success of the MASC Conference during their term of office, inclusive of submission of a resolution and a workshop.

SECTION 3: The chairperson of the Executive Committee shall be a student who has been elected President of the MASC district hosting the MASC Conference.

SECTION 4: The duties of the President shall consist of:

    1. Presiding at all meetings of the association and the Executive Committee.
    2. Representing the association at public functions.
    3. Appointing necessary committees.
    4. Informing other state officers of their duties.
    5. Make every effort to represent MASC at the NASC Conference.

SECTION 5:  In the case of illness or inability to serve on the part of an Executive Committee member, the committee shall choose a person to fill the vacancy.

SECTION 6:  The Executive Committee shall select a student to serve a one-year term on the State   Board of Public Education. The student representative shall be a non-voting member to the State Board of Public Education, and will serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

SECTION 1:  The MASC Executive Director and Associate Director shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and shall perform such duties and services, as the Executive Committee shall require. Their terms of office shall be for three years and they may be eligible for reappointment.

SECTION 2:  They shall be non-voting members of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 3:  They shall receive an honorarium in the amount determined by the Executive     Committee.

SECTION 4:  Executive Director Duties:

    1. Assume general direction overall activities of the association.
    2. Establish a clearinghouse for student council information and assistance.
    3. Publicize association activities.
    4. Conduct the sponsors’ meetings at the state conference.
    5. Coordinate all association activities and assist student leaders in their work.
    6. Receive all monies from member schools such as dues, convention proceeds and other income.
    7. Keep an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures and give an annual accounting to the Executive Committee.
    8. Turn over all records and funds to the Executive Committee at the expiration of   his/her term of office.
    9. Be responsible to coordinate and direct a summer workshop or designate a person to do so.

SECTION 5.  Associate Director Duties:

A.   Assist the Executive Director in the duties identified in Section 4.

B.   Perform the duties identified in Section 4 in the absence of the Executive Director.

C.   Perform duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

ARTICLE VII – ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SECTION 1: There shall be an annual conference for all member schools.

SECTION 2:  The place of the annual state conference shall be rotated to coincide with the district of the State Presidency.  The times of the conference shall be selected by the Executive Committee.  In the event a district refused to host the convention, the district shall forfeit their right to hold state offices.  The next district in line shall then elect the state officers.

SECTION 3:  All student councils represented at the annual state conference shall be accompanied by an advisor.

SECTION 4:  Conference registration and fees shall be paid directly to the host school.  At the conclusion of the conference the host school will prepare a financial summary and submit any profits to MASC.

SECTION 5:  There shall be a constitution committee composed of students chosen by the Executive Committee and such advisors as the committee feel necessary.  They shall meet at the annual conference and submit a list of proposed constitutional changes to the Executive Director.

SECTION 6:  There shall be a resolution committee which shall meet at the annual conference.  This committee shall be composed of students chosen by the Executive Committee and such advisors as the committee feels necessary, and shall submit a list of the proposed resolutions to the delegates during the business meeting of the association.

SECTION 7:  It is expected that all officers of MASC shall study the particular functions of their respective office as stated in this Constitution and ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER, REVISED, and shall perform such duties of the office with utmost care and preparation. By doing this, the excellent reputation of MASC will be upheld and a maximum learning experience will result.

SECTION 8:  All Executive Committee members (student and adult) are expected to make every effort to attend all meetings of the Executive Committee and to remain informed on all pertinent issues.

ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1:  Proposed amendments to this constitution must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee.

SECTION 2:  After presentation by the Executive Committee, amendments may be passed at the  annual conference of the association by a two-thirds vote of the official delegates present at the business meeting.  OR, after presentation by the Executive Committee, a copy of proposed constitutional amendments may be sent to all current MASC members for discussion by local student councils.  An official ballot will accompany the proposed amendment(s). Amendments may be passed by a two-thirds majority vote of ballots returned within two weeks to the Executive Director.  By-laws may be amended by a simple majority vote.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I – RULES OF ORDER

Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the final authority for all disputed technicalities which arise during the business session.

ARTICLE II – DUES

The amount of annual dues will be determined by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III – DISSOLUTION CLAUSE

If the Association shall be dissolved for any reason, the assets of the Association shall be used to fulfill existing financial obligations at the time of dissolution and to pay such expenses as are necessary to dissolve the Association.

Any assets remaining shall be transferred to a nonprofit organization selected by the Executive Board, which has been formed for the purposes substantially similar to those established in these bylaws.

Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the District Court of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.