SCA Constitution

The Constitution of
The Student Council Association of
TCS – Tidewater Chinese School

Article I: Organization

A. Name: The name of the organization for which this constitution shall serve as supreme law shall be known as all as the Student Council Association of Tidewater Chinese School, or TCS SCA.

B. Affiliation: TCS SCA is the official student body of the Tidewater Chinese School.

C. Mission: The mission of TCS SCA is to provide opportunities to enhance student leadership development and contribute to the overall benefit of the community and our school.

D. Purpose:

a. To encourage the development of leadership skills among all enrolled TCS students.
b. To encourage student to seek out opportunities for building civic skills and attitudes such as participation in elections, discussion and debate of issues, and collaborative decision-making.
c. To represent students of TCS and provide service during community events.
d. To support and organize activities/events organized or sponsored by TCS.
e. To assist and propose decision making process for TCS.
f. To recognize TCS students and related participants for their service and contributions toward the fulfillment of the mission and purposes of TCS SCA.

Article II: Office Structure

The student body shall be represented by an elected executive board of officers, grade-level Representatives, and faculty adviser(s). The executive board of officers shall be composed of the following: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Cashier, Historian and Publicist.

The executive officers and selected Representatives will meet in scheduled SCA meeting under the supervision of the faculty adviser.

Duties of the executive officers, adviser and representative are as follow:

A. President:

a. Preside/oversee SCA and at all meetings. Represent SCA and the entire student body for TCS.
b. Ensure the smooth function of SCA and effectively incorporate its members into its operation.
c. Guide the SCA in setting and attaining goals.
d. Make final decisions concerning any agenda during the meetings.
e. Contact and organize activities with host school, ODU.

B. Vice-President:

a. Assist the president in fulfilling his/her duties.
b. In the absence of the president, or when so delegated, take on all the president’s duties.
c. Oversee and coordinate the activities of working committees of SCA.
d. Is the director of all chairmen of committees, in which he/she reports a summary to the council.

C. Secretary:

a. Take minutes at meetings and ensure the distribution of the agendas and minutes to all members and associated administrators.
b. Summarize minutes from the last meeting to the council.
c. Maintain all documents and records to be stored and filed properly.

D. Treasurer:

a. Develop a working budget and distribute clear guidelines concerning SCA monetary policy.
b. Receive and make payments for any funding for the organization and maintain a record of goods collected for helping TCS.
c. Maintain an accurate and current record of all SCA funds and expenditures and regularly report this information to SCA.
d. Bring to SCA for approval any requests for funds that, in his/her judgment, are “unusual,” or those requests that have not been approved by SCA.
e. When necessary, analyze expenditure patterns to maximize effective future allocation of funds.

E. Historian:

a. Document pictures and memorabilia during events and organizational activities.
b. Can choose any form of appropriate media to document events.

F. Publicist:

a. Will provide publicity for the SCA and the events in which it participates.
b. Encourage membership.

G. Faculty adviser:

a. Shall advise the organization when needed upon, assist the organization in planning events/activities, and assist the other committees.
b. Serve as adviser to the SCA and any committees created in a non-voting capacity.
c. Represent the SCA as an adviser for any requested needs for the school and the community.

H. Representatives

Representatives shall be chosen to represent each grade level. The Representatives will be chosen by the officers of the executive board along with the faculty adviser through a blind application process directly following the election of the executive board.

I. Cashier

Maintain physical money while communicating with the treasurer. The cashier also keeps a fund record to confirm the accuracy of the treasurer’s own data.

Article III: Basic Areas of Responsibility for a Board of Officers

A. Policy: Determine the organization’s mission and set policies (ensure that the provisions of the organization’s charter and the bylaws are being followed).

B. Planning: Review and approve the organization’s programs from year to year and engage in longterm planning to establish its general course for the future.

C. Fiscal Review: Establish fiscal policy and boundaries, with budgets and fiscal controls. Approve the budget. Exercise financial control. Review and approve major commitments of funds.

D. Fundraising: Ensure that the organization has adequate resources to undertake the activities for which it is committed. Assist with fundraising. Approve the annual fundraising plan.

E. Communications/External Relations: Develop and maintain communications with the community, TCS Board, and the students of TCS, and in close coordination with staff to promote the work of SCA.

F. Officer Development: Nominate, orient, and evaluate its own board members to keep the board strong and able to carry out its responsibilities. Review overall board performance.

G. Proposal: Any member of the council can make a proposal to the council and then to be approved with a majority vote two-thirds.

Article IV: Election

A. The Executive Board and Representatives shall be elected for a term of one year and shall serve until their successors are elected.

B. Election of officers shall be held before the end of the second semester of each school year.

C. Voting Requirements: 6th Grade and up (public school level).

D. Running Requirements: High school (public school level).

E. Winning Requirements: A majority vote shall be required to elect any officer position.

F. Office Terms: The elected position is for one school year (2 semester: fall and spring semester). No consecutive term for core officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer).

G. Advisory: Position is appropriated by the principal or the president with approval of the principal.

Article V: Re-election

A. President: If the president leaves within the first two months of the semester, a new president will be re-elected. If the president leaves after two months, the vice-president will be appointed president and execute the president duties and responsibilities.

B. Other Offices: If an officer other than a president leaves the position, a re-election for the office will be held.

Article VI: Impeachment

A. SCA shall have the power to impeach any member of SCA for failure to fulfill the responsibilities of his/her office.

B. The president or highest non-offending officer shall be informed in writing/verbally of the impeachment charges brought against a SCA member.

C. When under impeachment, the defendant’s rights and responsibilities of the membership shall be suspended until the termination of impeachment proceedings.

D. Majority by the student body will be required for impeachment.

Article VII: Amendments

A. Any member of SCA may propose amendments/revisions to the constitution.

B. Proposed amendments/revisions to this constitution must be approved by a two-thirds vote.

C. All amendments/revisions to the constitution shall be effective the semester following the vote to accept the amendment/revisions.

D. This constitution cannot be discarded except by a majority vote of the student body.

Article VIII: Meetings of the SCA

A. Regular SCA Meetings.

a. The SCA shall meet as least once a month during the school year. Meetings dates shall be approved by the faculty adviser.
b. A quorum of at least two-thirds of the SCA must be present in order to transact business. A majority vote of representatives present is necessary for the passage of bills.
c. The faculty adviser or a substitute must be present at all meetings.

B. Special Meetings: The President, faculty adviser, or the principal may call Special Meetings of the SCA.

C. Postponed or Cancelled Meetings: Meetings, which have been postponed or cancelled, may be rescheduled by the president with the approval of the faculty adviser.

Article IX: Limitations of Power

Any action taken by the SCA is subject to the approval of the faculty adviser and the principal.

Article X: Ratification

This constitution shall be ratified by the principal, faculty adviser, and by a two-thirds vote of the SCA.

Article XI: Application process

For application for the SCA body, each candidate must receive one recommendation from a language teacher (can only endorse a maximum of two students).