ASB & Student Government

Preamble

We, the students of Bishop Amat High School, do establish and accept the following Constitution for the following purposes:

1.  To regulate and promote student activities that help mold good Christian character.

2.  To acquire, through participation in student government, a better understanding of citizenship and democratic principles.

3.  To express the voice of the students on issues that directly affects the student body.

4.  To promote a unified atmosphere within the school among the students, faculty, and administration.

5.  To develop the qualities of Christian leadership.

ARTICLE I - Name

Section 1: The name of the organization shall be the Associated Student Body of Bishop Amat High School.

ARTICLE II - Membership

Section 1: The regularly enrolled members of Bishop Amat High School shall be eligible for membership in the Associated Student Body of Bishop Amat High School.

ARTICLE III - Student Council

Section 1: The executive and upper-legislative branch of the student body shall be known as the Student Council.

Section 2: The Student Council shall consist of the following voting members:

1.  Associated Student Body Officers (4)

2.  Commissioners (as many as the Executive Board deems necessary)

3.  Class Officers (4 per class)

*The Activities Director shall act as advisor.

Section 3:  Student Council shall be required to meet at least once a month.  Special sessions may be called at the discretion of the Executive Board of Students or of the Administration.

Section 4:  The chief executive officers of the Student Council are the A.S.B. Officers with the president as president.

Section 5:  All decisions of Student Council are only effective if a quorum of 50% plus one of the council is present.

ARTICLE IV - Officers

Section 1:  The elected Student Body Officers of this organization shall be known as members of the Executive Board, which will consist of the following persons:

1.   ASB President

2.   ASB Vice-President

3.   ASB Secretary

4.   ASB Treasurer

5.   Activities Director; having no vote and chosen by the principal.

Section 2:  The elected class officers shall consist of the following persons:

1.   President

2.   Vice-President

3.   Secretary

4.   Treasurer

Section 3:  The commissioners shall be appointed by the Student Body Officers.  The various categories shall be decided by the Student Body Officers as the need arises.

ARTICLE V - Qualifications

Section 1:  Academic Qualifications

1.  Candidates for ASB Office must be representative of the philosophy of Bishop Amat and must have demonstrated the potential to be a student leader in accordance with this philosophy.

2.  Candidates for ASB Office must be members of the Associated Student Body of Bishop Amat for at least three full semesters prior to nomination for that office.

3.  Candidates for ASB Office must have a 2.8 cumulative GPA to run for office and maintain a 2.5 GPA while in office.

4.  Candidates for Class Office must have a 2.6 cumulative GPA to run for office and maintain a 2.3 GPA while in office.

5.  Candidates for Commissionership must have a 2.2 cumulative GPA to apply for office and maintain a 2.0 GPA while in office.

Section 2:  Other Qualifications

1.  Candidates for ASB, Class or Commissionership Offices must have satisfactory attendance records with regard to absences and tardiness.

2.  Candidates for ASB, Class or Commissionership Offices must have satisfactory discipline records.  Any student who was placed on disciplinary probation during the election year is ineligible to run for office.  Any student who received more than one “N” (behavior/citizenship needs improvement) or a single “U” unsatisfactory behavior/citizenship) as a citizenship comment on the preceding report card is not eligible to run for office.

3.  Students who are elected into office must maintain their satisfactory attendance and discipline status in order to stay in office.  An Officer who commits a violation, which is liable to probation or withdrawal, according to the Disciplinary Actions listed in this handbook, may be required to relinquish the office.  Officers who receive multiple “N” comments, or a “U” comment, on their report card, will be put on probation until the next grading period.  Officers will be declared behaviorally ineligible to hold office if multiple “N” comments, or a “U” comment, is still present after the probationary period. 

Section 3:  Executive Office

1.  An executive office is defined as an office that carries either a Student Council or Student Senate seat.

2.  Members of the Student Council and Student Senate shall hold only one executive office.

3.  The ASB Officers shall be empowered to enforce the provisions of this article.

Section 4:  The ASB Officers must be seniors.  Commissioners may be either seniors, juniors or sophomores.

Section 5:  Vacancies in the Student Council and Student Senate shall be filled in the following manner:

1.  The Vice-President shall fill a presidential vacancy.

2.  Other ASB Officers shall be replaced by appointment of the Executive Board in conjunction with the existing class or club officers and respective moderators.

ARTICLE VI - Student Senate

Section 1:  The other legislative branch of the Student Body shall be known as the Student Senate.

Section 2:   The Presiding Officer of the Student Senate shall be the ASB Vice-President, who shall vote only in the case of a tie.  The ASB President shall act as Vice-President of the Student Senate.  The ASB Secretary shall keep minutes, and the ASB Treasurer shall keep records of any financial requests or refusals of the Student Senate meetings.

Section 3:  Membership in the Student Senate shall consist of the Homeroom Representatives, representatives from each athletic team, and the President or Vice-President of each club, performance group and publication group.

Section 4:  Each grade level shall have a council composed of the four class officers.  These councils shall meet at least once a month and when necessary as designated by the class president and moderator.

Section 5:  Student Senate must meet at least once a semester.  However, special sessions may be called by the ASB Vice-President through the Activities Director, Assistant Principal-Student Services, or by the Principal.

Section 6:  All decisions of Student Senate are only effective if a quorum of 50% plus one of the Senate is present.

ARTICLE VII - Elections

Section 1:   Any students fulfilling the qualifications stated in Article V and wishing to run for an ASB Office must submit his/her name for a primary election.  The two candidates receiving the most votes in this primary election shall then have their names placed on the final ASB ballot.  In class elections, there will also be a primary election to determine the two finalists for each office.  For any office where there are only one or two candidates running, a primary election will not be held for that office.

Section 2:  For the ASB primary elections, each candidate will make a primary speech prior to the primary election unless there are only one or two candidates for a particular office and no primary election is held for that office. 

Section 3:  Homeroom elections shall be conducted under the direction of the newly elected ASB Officers and must be completed at the beginning of the school year.

Section 4:  Elections shall take place in the following order:

1.   ASB Primary

2.   ASB Final

3.   Class Primary

4.   Class Final

5.   Appointment of Commissioners by newly elected ASB Officers

ARTICLE VIII - Impeachment/Removal From Office

Section 1:  Impeachment proceedings against any elected Student Council or Student Senate member shall be initiated by a simple majority vote of the Student Senate for a Student Senate member and by a simple majority vote of the Student Council for a Student Council member.

Section 2:  An impeached member of Student Council or Student Senate will be removed from office by 2/3 majority vote of the Student Council or Student Senate and the approval of the Principal.

Section 3:  Commissioners may be removed from their positions by the unanimous decision of the Executive Board of Student Government and the approval of the Principal.

ARTICLE IX - Organizations

Section 1:  Any group of students may petition the Student Government, both houses, for a charter granting them the right to have a club on campus.

Section 2:  A group of students may receive a charter with 2/3 approval of each house of Student Government.

Section 3:  Upon evidence of a failure of an organization to adhere to its constitution, a suspension shall be made of the charter by the Student Government.  Suspension entails the confiscation of all monies of the particular organization by the Student Government.

Section 4:  All clubs shall be chartered annually.

ARTICLE X - Powers of the Associated Student Body

Section 1:  The Associated Student Body shall have the power to introduce a new bill (initiative) when a petition has been signed by 10% of the voting student body.

Section 2:  The respective classes may initiate recall procedures by a petition signed by 25% of the voting members of the class.

ARTICLE XI - Derivations of Authority

Section 1:  All powers herein set forth are in accordance with the California Educational Code and the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Code.  Said powers are delegated by the Principal and may be revoked at any time.

ARTICLE XII - Amendments

Section 1:  Proposed amendments to the Constitution may be presented to the Student Body by a 2/3-vote majority of the Student Council and the Student Senate.

Section 2:  Amendments may be proposed by the Student Body according to ARTICLE X, Section 1.

Section 3: The approval of 2/3 of those voting shall be required for ratification of the proposed amendment.