Article I – Name of Organization and Purpose
Section I – Name of Organization
(1) The name of this organization is herein declared the La Plata High School Student Government Association, also known as the SGA.
Section II – Purpose
(1) The SGA will serve to exemplify the following:
(a) To advocate for, as well as represent, the student population as a whole;
(b) To organize activities to promote the welfare of those in our school and local community;
(c) To serve as a liaison between administration and the student population;
(d) To collaborate state-wide in order to improve the character and leadership abilities of ourselves and our peers; and,
(e) To foster professional and personal relationships in order to leave a lasting legacy.
(2) The General Assembly shall serve as the Legislative Body of the SGA.
(3) The Executive Board shall serve as the Executive Body of the SGA.
(a) The Bylaws shall invest some executive responsibilities in the Executive Committee.
Article II – Membership
Section I – Joining SGA
(1) In order to apply for SGA, interested students must fill out an application as deemed by the School Advisor and submit the required dues.
(2) In order to be considered for membership in SGA, applicants must meet the county eligibility requirements.
Section II – Maintaining Membership and Earning Points
(1) In order to maintain membership within the SGA, members must uphold their CCPS eligibility.
(2) In addition, members must continually meet participation standards established in Article XI.
Article III – General Assembly
Section I – Meetings
(1) General Assembly meetings must be announced at least two days prior to being held.
(2) The Executive Committee shall have the sole authority to call General Assembly meetings.
(3) General Assembly meetings will be open to all class delegates.
Section II – Quorum
(1) 25% of the La Plata HS SGA’s membership shall constitute a quorum for the General Assembly to do business.
Article IV – Executive Board
Section I – Meetings
(1) The Executive Committee shall have the authority to call Executive Board meetings.
(2) If a majority of the Executive Board petitions to have a meeting, then the SGA Advisor will meet with the petitioners to schedule a date.
Section II – Composition
(1) All advisors, class sponsors, class officers, school officers, CCASC officers, and MASC officers will be members of the Executive Board.
(2) In addition, all appointed members to these organizations will be recognized as members of the Executive Board. (ex. MASC Parliamentarian)
Section III – Quorum
(1) 51% of the Executive Board’s membership shall constitute a quorum for the Executive Board to do business.
Article V – Executive Committee
Section I – Meetings
(1) Executive Committee meetings shall be facilitated by the SGA president and will follow general rules of civil discourse.
(2) All decisions shall be decided by majority consent.
(a) In the case of a tied vote, the SGA Advisor will break the tie.
Section II – Composition
(1) The school officers will be the sole members of the Executive Committee.
(2) In the case that the Student Board Member is a student of La Plata High School, they shall additionally serve on the Executive Committee.
Section III – Quorum
(1) 80% of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum to do business.
(2) The quorum shall be rounded down to the previous whole number.
Article VI – Officers
Section I – Class Officers
(1) The President – Each class shall elect from among themselves a President who will preside over all class meetings, represent their class at all General Assembly and Executive Board meetings, prepare the agendas and supplementary materials (ex. PowerPoints, handouts) for class meetings, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the President. Class presidents will attend at least one CCASC or MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(2) The Vice President – Each class shall elect from among themselves a Vice President who shall serve as acting President in the absence of the President, succeed the President in the case of a vacancy, assist the SGA vice president in compiling evidence for Felix Simon award, as needed, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Vice President. Class vice presidents will attend at least one CCASC or MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(3) The Secretary – Each class shall elect from among themselves a Secretary who shall maintain minutes of class meetings, record points for class events, maintain attendance records, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Secretary. Class secretaries will attend at least one CCASC or MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(a) Class Secretaries shall be responsible for finalizing and submitting meeting minutes to the SGA Secretary via a shared folder in OneDrive.
(b) Inform SGA secretary of class specific events and dates for inclusion in monthly SGA event calendar.
(4) The Communications Director – Each class shall elect from among themselves a Communications Director who shall manage and maintain all platforms of communication within the class, manage all social media accounts of the class, which are meant to serve as a record and promotion of all events, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Communications Director.
(a) Communications Directors will contribute to a quarterly newsletter under the direction of the SGA Communications Director.
Section II – School Officers
(1) The President – Those present at the Activity Period election shall elect from among themselves a President who will preside over all General Assembly and Executive Board meetings, represent the school at all CCASC meetings, prepare the agendas and supplementary materials (ex. PowerPoints, handouts) for General Assembly and Executive Board meetings, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the President. The SGA student body president will attend each CCASC and MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(a) Every year, around January to February, the President shall address the General Assembly and provide information detailing the State of the SGA.
(2) The Vice President – Those present at the Activity Period election shall elect from among themselves a Vice President who shall serve as acting President in the absence of the President, succeed the President in the case of a vacancy, maintain records and keep organization updated on Felix Simon award requirements, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Vice President. Executive committee officers will attend at least one CCASC or MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(3) The Secretary – Those present at the Activity Period election shall elect from among themselves a Secretary who shall maintain minutes of General Assembly, Executive Committee, and Executive Board meetings, record points for school events, collect and maintain the total points for all SGA members, determine whether a meeting has met the required quorum, develop digital monthly calendars for full SGA events, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Secretary. Executive committee officers will attend at least one CCASC or MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(4) The Communications Director – Those present at the activity Period election shall elect from among themselves a Communications Director who shall manage and maintain all platforms of communication for the school SGA, manage all social media accounts of the school SGA, develop a quarterly newsletter (with the assistance of the class level communications directors) for school-wide distribution, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Communications Director. Executive committee officers will attend at least one CCASC or MASC event each year, taking one of the five spots reserved for officers.
(5) The Student Liaison – The Student Liaison shall represent the school and its students in all external school affairs, attend the Charles County Board of Education meetings, maintain lines of communication with La Plata’s feeder schools, serve on the CCASC Executive Board, and fulfill any further duties that evolve upon the office of the Student Liaison.
- The Principal and SGA Advisor shall have authority over the Student Liaison selection process. At the conclusion of the year, the Student Liaison will also have a role in the selection of their successor.
- Liaison will present relevant information from board meetings to the executive committee for inclusion by the president in general assembly meeting agendas.
Article VII– Elections
Section I – Election Timeline
(1) The Executive Committee shall plan for and establish the following election events in this following order during the 4th Quarter, separately for the class and school elections:
(a) 1 week for members of the SGA to announce their candidacy;
(b) Up to 2 weeks for campaigning;
(c) 1 week for class officer elections, or 1 Activity Period shift for school officer elections.
(i) All students shall have the right to attend the Activity Period elections.
(ii) Campaigning will still be permitted during elections if elections week does not overlap with the 2 weeks for campaigning.
(2) The Executive Committee shall hold freshman class officer elections no earlier than the end of 1st quarter and no later than the beginning of 3rd quarter.
(3) The Executive Committee may overlap class and school elections, as well as the weeks for campaigning and elections if they deem it necessary.
(4) In emergency circumstances, the Advisor and Principal may determine an alternative method of holding elections with consultation of the Executive Board.
Section II – Qualifications for Candidacy
(1) All candidates must be members of the SGA.
(2) All candidates must have served in the General Assembly for at least one quarter of the school year in which they plan to run.
(3) All candidates must have met minimum participation standards as outlined in Article XI by the time of the election.
Section III – Announcing Candidacy
(1) When a candidate decides to run for office, they must submit a notice of candidacy to their class advisor and school advisor during the posted window.
Section IV – Campaigning Rules
(1) All campaign materials must be pre-approved by SGA advisors prior to posting to social media or distributing at school.
(2) Candidates may campaign via social media, but posts must be pre-approved and they must @mention the SGA accounts on the same platform.
(3) Students may not participate in negative campaigning.
(4) Candidates may not spend more than $50 on their campaign. Donated materials must be valued at their fair market value. The Advisor may request expense reports from candidates.
(5) All school guidelines must be followed when campaigning.
(6) The Advisor reserves the right to remove candidates from the election if any campaign rules are broken.
(7) Candidates cannot be held responsible for the actions of other SGA members.
(8) In accordance with CCASC and MASC guidelines for campaigning, candidates may not distribute food or drink.
(9) Candidates must be present on election day to deliver their speeches. An absence on election day, excused or unexcused, precludes a student from running for office.
Section V – Means of Voting
(1) During the designated election meeting, candidates will deliver a speech (which will have been previously submitted for approval to the SGA advisors).
(2) Students will have an opportunity to vote for their respective class officers after speeches have concluded.
(3) The Executive Committee and SGA Advisor shall schedule an Activity Period meeting for school officer candidates to deliver speeches, as well as a question and answer period, if time allows.
(4) All students shall be permitted to attend election meetings and subsequently vote for school officers during the Activity Period shift.
(5) Only students present at the advertised election meeting may cast a vote.
Article VIII – Committees
Section I – Grievance Committee
(1) The Grievance Committee shall meet when a grievance has been filed and submitted to the SGA Advisor.
(2) The Grievance Committee’s jurisdiction shall extend over all disputes within SGA, including but not limited to, inactivity of an officer, inadequacy of an officer, unprofessional behavior of an officer, or failure to follow this Constitution.
(3) The Grievance Committee shall consist of…
(a) the SGA advisor;
(b) the school officers;
(c) the class presidents; and
(d) one additional advisor selected by the SGA advisor.
(4) If a grievance relates to a member of the Grievance Committee, or a conflict of interest arises, the committee member must recuse themself and the SGA Advisor shall appoint a similar replacement.
(a) Any grievance dealing with a violation of the Code of Conduct or school rules shall be referred to administration and will not fall under the jurisdiction of the committee.
(5) The grievance petitioner shall be called before the committee and be given an opportunity to explain the grievance. In addition, if the grievance is filed against an individual they shall also have the opportunity to appear before the committee and explain themselves.
(6) The Grievance Committee may order a remedy in response to the grievance by a 2/3 majority.
(a) If the committee recommends the removal of an officer, it shall additionally require a majority vote by the Executive Board.
Section II – Vacancy Committee
(1) The Vacancy Committee shall meet when a vacancy occurs within the SGA’s school or class officers.
(a) If any presidency becomes vacant, the respective Vice President shall fill the vacancy leaving the Vice Presidency in need of being filled.
(2) The Vacancy Committee shall consist of…
(a) the SGA advisor;
(b) the school officers;
(c) the class presidents;
(d) two total upperclassmen and underclassmen advisors selected by the SGA advisor; and
(e) any additional members the SGA advisor deems necessary.
(3) The Vacancy Committee shall interview all applicants for the vacancy and score them based on submitted materials and the interview itself. The committee shall then use these scores to determine the two finalists.
(4) The two finalists will have an opportunity to campaign before the General Assembly. The General Assembly will then vote on the two finalists to determine who fills the vacancy.
(a) If the vacancy occurs in a class office, then the respective class SGA, not the General Assembly, shall hold a meeting for the two finalists to campaign and for all interested class SGA members to vote.
Section III – Special Committees
(1) The Executive Committee shall be empowered to temporarily create and appoint Special Committees to fulfill certain tasks. (Ex. Party Planning Committee)
Article IX – Delegations
(1) This Constitution shall become valid when a majority of the students present at the General Assembly meeting reviewing the document approve it.
Section I – County Meetings
(1) The Communications Directors shall publicly advertise opportunities to attend county meetings to all SGA members for no less than 5 days.
(2) Forms shall be available to all interested SGA members.
(3) In determining who will attend county meetings, in the case of limited availability, students will be selected on a first come, first served basis.
(4) Students can only earn points for activities or positions within the same school year as the event. In addition, students may only receive credit for the highest position they hold.
(5) Five spaces will be reserved for class and executive committee officers. All remaining spaces will be reserved for delegates.
Section II – State Meetings
(1) The Communications Directors shall publicly advertise opportunities to attend state-level meetings to all SGA members for no less than 10 days.
(2) In determining who will attend state meetings, in the case of limited availability, students will be ranked in order based on current point totals at the time of registration.
(3) Students can only earn points for activities or positions within the same school year as the event. In addition, students may only receive credit for the highest position they hold.
(4) Five spaces will be reserved for class and executive committee officers. All remaining spaces will be reserved for delegates.
Article X
Section I – Enactment
(2) Members of the SGA shall be given an opportunity to express comments and concerns with the proposal.
(3) The General Assembly meeting that approves this document is empowered to meet via digital means.
(4) In the school year this Constitution is enacted, Article VII, Section II, Clause 2 shall be suspended.
Section II – Amendments
(1) Amendments filed no less than 10 days before a General Assembly meeting shall require a 2/3 vote of those present or a majority vote of the entire membership to amend this Constitution.
(2) Amendments filed less than 10 days before a General Assembly meeting shall require a 4/5 vote of those present or a 2/3 vote of the entire membership to amend this Constitution.
Section III – Bylaws
(1) The Executive Board shall be empowered to approve and create Bylaws, inferior to this Constitution, with a 2/3 vote.
(2) The General Assembly shall be notified of proposals and amendments to the Bylaws.
(3) The General Assembly retains the right to strike down, propose, and amend Bylaws by majority vote.
(4) The Bylaws shall include, but not be limited to, a points system executed by the SGA Secretary, additional Standing Committees as they become necessary, processes to manage the planning of large events, and the establishment of powers of the Executive Board and Executive Committee.
(5) The Bylaws must be reviewed and re-approved annually by the Executive Board.
Article XI
Section I—Point System
(1) Attendance/participation in events equate to one point earned per thirty minutes of activity (including one point per class meeting and general assembly meeting).
(2) Donation points are limited to two points per campaign per student. Students must preregister for donated items via SignUp Genius link, and all donated items must be delivered to school prior to the event.
(a) Executive Board makes decisions regarding points-to-item ratio on a case-by-case basis.
(3) Executive committee may declare double-point events in emergency cases to increase participation.
Section II—Minimum Participation Standards
(1) By the end of the school year, students must have earned a minimum of 20 points and have completed a minimum of 5 service hours.
Section III—Probation
(1) At end of semester one, advisors will contact members not meeting minimum participation standards to notify of probationary status.
(2) Students who do not accumulate the minimum points by the end of the year will not earn a year of service toward the four-year service award and will be ineligible to run for elected office the following year.
Section IV—Four-Year Service Award and Varsity Letter
(1) Students who do not meet minimum participation standards will not receive a delegate certificate for that given school year.
(2) Students must maintain minimum participation points in each year of SGA (earning all four delegate certificates) in order to earn honor cords for graduation.
(3) To earn a varsity letter, students must earn 75 points (for meetings, maximum donation points, school and community events, etc.) by the time of senior honors convocation and underclassmen awards.
La Plata High School Student Government Association 