ASB Constitution

Lincoln HS ASB Constitution

Preamble:
Lincoln High School Bylaws:

Preamble:

We are a team of students whose purpose is to represent the student body of Lincoln High school. We acknowledge that the decisions we make impact the entire school. We work democratically to provide services and make decisions for students keeping the needs and best interests of the student body in mind. Our goal is to create a community that includes all students and staff at Lincoln High School regardless of circumstances and will serve as a resource to encourage student participation and leadership.

We do assemble with these creeds solidly in mind to establish and prescribe this Constitution for the enrolled students at Lincoln High School.

Article 1: Name, Colors, Symbol

Section 1: This organization shall be known as the Lincoln High School (LHS) Associated Student Body (ASB).

Section 2: The predominant colors symbolic of this organization shall be red and black.

Section 3: The symbol or mascot of LHS is “Lenny the Lynx” or simply the “Lynx”, as has been the traditional Lincoln High School mascot for many years.

Article 2: Membership

Section 1: All currently enrolled students at Lincoln High School shall be members of this Associated Student Body.

Section 2: Discounts are available to all members of this organization who pay an annual subscription. Benefits allotted to the ASB cardholders shall be evaluated by the Executive Board in collaboration with administration on a yearly basis.

Section 3: All Lincoln High School students are welcome at all activities, athletic events, and educational programs that take place at LHS or are hosted by LHS in other locations. No student in the LHS ASB shall, on the basis of gender, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, economic status, immigration status, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity of the ASB.

Article 3: Authority

Section 1: All legislative authority of the Associated Student Body of Lincoln High School shall be vested in the Executive board.

Section 2: The LHS administration and/or the ASB advisor maintains the right to veto any decision made by the ASB if they feel the actions of the Student Council negatively impact the students at the school or the school climate.

Section 3: The Student Government, specifically the Executive board, reserves the right to appeal a veto by the Activities Coordinator. Should such a dispute arise between the Executive Board and Activities Advisor, the Executive Board can request that a meeting be held between them, the Activities Coordinator, and a School Administrator. During this meeting, the ASB President or appointed representative will inform the Administrator of the Executive Board’s position, and advocate on behalf of the Executive Board. The School Administrator must hear arguments from both the Executive Board and the Activities Coordinator and make a judgement in favor of either side, or a “middle ground” decision which acts as a compromise. Should the Executive Board feel that the proceedings were unfair or biased, they may request a meeting with the School Principal. Should the School Principal decline the request for a meeting, the ASB Executive Board is prohibited from pursuing the matter further at the school level and must abide by the decision of the School Administrator.

Section 4: A majority of the members of the Executive Board must be present at any meeting when major decisions are made or business, financial or otherwise, is transacted. A majority shall be defined as at least 50% of the group members plus one.

Article 4: Student Representatives

Section 1: The Student Government shall be composed of the following voting members: ASB President, Treasurer, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Club Coordinator, Sports Coordinator, Communications Director, Public Relations Officer, Spirit Coordinator, Running Start Representative, 12th grade Class Officers, 11th grade Class Officers, 10th grade Class Officers, 9th grade Class Officers, ASB Parliamentarian, ASB Chief Technology Officer, Chartered Student Organization Leaders, Sports Captains and Managers, House Representatives, and Mentorship Representatives.

Section 2: The Executive Board shall consist of the following voting members: ASB President, Treasurer, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Club Coordinator, Sports Coordinator, Communications Director, Public Relations Officer, Spirit Coordinator, 11th grade Running Start Representative, 12th grade Running Start Representative, House Representatives, and Voting Class Council Members.

Section 3: Each class shall be represented by a Class Council, led by a Class President and Treasurer, with the exception of the incoming 9th grade class, whose Class Council has no lead positions. Voting Privileges on the Executive Board shall be awarded to class representatives as outlined in Article 5 Section 10.

Section 4: The elections of the ASB Officers and Class Officers shall be held according to the guidelines in the LHS By-Laws. All election details not specified in this Constitution and by-laws are delegated to the Executive Board.

Article 5: Ratification of the Constitution

Section 1: The Constitution shall go into effect when both three-fourths of the present Executive Board members and three-fourths of the voting student body has ratified the Constitution within a timeframe that is reasonable, agreed upon ahead of time, and equitably available to all students. It is vital that the elections are conducted anonymously for both the Executive Board stage and the general student body stage.

Lincoln High School Bylaws:

Article 1: Meetings

Section 1: The Executive Board shall meet a minimum of once per week while school is in session, at a time and place agreed on ahead of time by the group in collaboration with the advisor.

Section 2: Student Organizations shall meet a minimum of once per quarter while school is in session, at a time and place agreed on ahead of time by the Organization in collaboration with the Organization’s advisor in order to maintain their charter.

Section 3: Class Councils shall meet a minimum of once per month while school is in session. The Class Council meetings will occur at a time and place agreed on ahead of time by the group in collaboration with the class advisor.

Section 4: Sports Captains whose sports are in season and the Sports Coordinator shall meet a minimum of once per season while school is in session at a time and place agreed on ahead of time by the group. The LHS Athletic Director as well as the captains whose sports are not in season are encouraged but not required to attend these meetings.

Section 5: Each House Parliament shall meet a minimum of once per month while school is in session at a time and place agreed upon ahead of time by the group in collaboration with the advisor.

Section 6: The Assembly of Club Presidents along with the Club Coordinator shall meet a minimum of once per quarter while school is in session at a time and place agreed upon ahead of time by the group.

Section 7: Special meetings may be called at any time by any ASB Officer, or at the request of any member of the Student Body, with the support of the ASB advisor.

Article 2: Voting Guidelines

Section 1: Authority to make decisions regarding spending ASB funds shall be vested in the Executive Board.

Section 2: Fiscal matters and club proposals decided upon by voting members of the Executive Board shall be determined by a simple majority of fifty percent plus one.

Section 3: All decisions made by the student body or Student Government shall be determined by a simple majority of voting members, unless another article states an exception to this.

Article 3: Qualifications for Elected Student Leadership Positions

Section 1: Representatives for all student leadership positions must be enrolled at Lincoln High School during the school years for which they hold office. Students elected to student leadership positions must be enrolled on campus for at least 3 class periods of the day, with the exception of the Running Start Representatives.

Section 2: Candidates for student leadership positions must have at least a 2.0 minimum grade point average. This can be either the GPA from the semester prior to the elections or the cumulative GPA calculated through the end of the previous semester; whichever the student chooses. Elected representatives must submit a grade check at the end of each quarter. If a student leader’s grade point average (either from the previous semester or cumulative) is below a 2.0, they will be placed on probation, with one quarter to raise their GPA to a 2.0 or greater. If this requirement is not met, they shall not be permitted to vote on matters at student government meetings until their grade point average has reached a 2.0 or greater.

Section 3: All ASB office positions except for the President can be filled by any student at Lincoln High School who meets these requirements.

Section 4: The position of ASB President must be filled by a Lincoln High School Student who must be an 11th grader at the time of the election and be able to attend every Executive Board meeting along with all other ASB obligations.

Section 5: All candidates for leadership positions in the Student Government must fulfill all requirements laid out by the elections committee.

Section 6: Students are restricted to two consecutive terms within the same position in the Student Government, with the exception of ASB Parliamentarian and Chief Technology Officer, who shall serve until their resignation from those roles or the conclusion of their time in Student Government, whichever comes first.

Article 4: Expectations of Elected Leaders

Section 1: Students holding office are expected to follow the guidelines for LHS students that are laid out in the Student Handbook during the entirety of their time in office.

Section 2: Students holding office are strongly encouraged but not required to take a leadership course at Lincoln while in office.

Section 3: Students elected to an ASB officer position are expected to take part in planning and executing a fundraiser and/or a community-facing event or project during their time in office.

Section 4: Students who fail to meet expectations will be handled according to the process outlined in Article 7.

Article 5: Description of ASB Officer Duties:

Section 1: The president’s duty is to coordinate with staff, members of ASB, and work with the student body to ensure a positive school climate and community. They will lead weekly meetings of the Executive Board to discuss events and issues throughout the school. The President may also welcome guests and introduce guest speakers. The president should be approachable and serve as a spokesperson for the Executive Board in the school. The president shall serve as the de facto student representative whenever one is requested unless an alternative individual is appointed. The president must attend at least one of each house meeting, class council meeting, club meeting, sports meeting, and spirit committee meeting per semester.

Section 2: The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the ASB’s fiduciary responsibility to the student body. They are responsible for writing and maintaining the ASB governing budget and financial records in collaboration with the Financial Secretary, as well as signing all ASB financial paperwork. The Treasurer is also responsible for ensuring that groups requesting to spend money have sufficient funds or a plan to repay a short-term loan from the general fund. The Treasurer is required to stay in close contact with the school Fiscal Specialist and to give a monthly report to the Executive board and all sub-organizations on the balances of all ASB accounts. They, along with the Financial Secretary, are the main student point of contact for all student groups regarding the fiscal matters of ASB.

Section 3: The Meeting Secretary is responsible for maintaining a current record of the agenda and decisions made during each meeting of the ASB. They are expected to attend weekly Executive Board meetings with the goal of recording who was present at the meeting, which and how items on the agenda were addressed, thoughts and opinions voiced during discussion, results of votes and items approved, and any ideas for future topics suggested during the meeting. The secretary is also in charge of responding to internal emails and should work with activity coordinator and president to keep a record of upcoming meetings and events. The Secretary is responsible for maintaining a record of all Executive Board meeting minutes as well as the meeting minutes of other Student Organizations and committees that meet regularly. This person is held accountable for consolidating these records in an organized manner. Following Executive Board meetings, the Meeting Secretary will record outstanding or incomplete items on the meeting agenda, and work with relevant groups or individuals on completing them. They will also monitor progress on current ASB projects.

Section 4: The main responsibility of the Financial Secretary is to maintain an active record of all financial activities of student groups and of the Student Government. The Financial Secretary also collaborates with the Treasurer in fulfilling the fiscal responsibilities of ASB in the role of providing support in the completion of additional financial duties. This includes working with the Treasurer in the creation and maintenance of the ASB budget and aiding in the presentation of monthly reports on the balances of ASB accounts. The Financial Secretary may also work with the Fiscal Specialist in the course of their work in maintaining records or duties shared with the Treasurer. The student in this position is expected to attend executive board meetings in addition to meetings with club and activity leaders focused on financial matters. The Financial Secretary will also, in collaboration with the Treasurer, be the main point of contact for student groups concerned with financial matters. They, along with the treasurer, are also responsible for sharing any financial concerns of the student body with the broader Student Government.

Section 5: The Communications Director is responsible for informing the student body about important news or events happening at Lincoln High School. This role consists of managing the Lincoln ASB social media accounts, sending out Remind texts for sports games, and connecting with the administrators in the office for information that should be posted on the school website. This person will also maintain the blackboard calendar located in the upper commons. They are also expected to attend the weekly Executive Board meetings. If the communication director sees fit, they are permitted to create a communications team with the expectation they meet on a consistent basis.

Section 6: The Public Relations Officer is responsible for building and maintaining Lincolns High School’s relationship with the outside community and alumni. They are the primary student spokesperson when reaching out to the community. The Public Relations Officer should organize a minimum of oneservice project every ASB term for community outreach. This officer is expected to keep alumni and nearby businesses informed about school events and work with them to organize fundraisers, coordinate with PTSA, and is responsible for responding to external emails. They are expected to attend the weekly Executive Board meetings.

Section 7: The Spirit Coordinator helps with school spirit and getting the student body engaged and excited about school events. This person is expected to encourage attendance at sports games/matches where Lincoln students are playing. The Spirit Coordinator should organize spirit weeks and encourage their peers to participate. They are expected to be engaged at assemblies and help the students in their section have spirit. This person must speak positively about Lincoln, be spirited themselves, encourage everyone to have school spirit, and lead by example. The Spirit Coordinator is expected to go to the weekly Executive Board meetings and is in charge of the spirit committee, a group of other students that would also like to help encourage school spirit by organizing events that meets at least once a week. This person also will remain in contact with the Communications Coordinator, to get people engaged during school events.

Section 8: The Club Coordinator shall work with the activity coordinator to maintain a list of active clubs, as well as club officers and advisers. They will stay in contact with all club presidents and club advisers to ensure that all clubs are following Lincoln expectations. The Club Coordinator in collaboration with the Treasurer and Financial Secretary will hold at least two meetings per year with all club presidents where financial information will be shared. The Club Coordinator is the main point of contact for all Lincoln clubs. This person is responsible for creating all the online information relevant to clubs and will send it to the Communications Coordinator. The Club Coordinator is the club representative to the executive board.

Section 9: The Sports Coordinator shall be responsible for the active sports. They will maintain a list of active coaches and captains, keeping in contact to make sure all are following Lincoln guidelines in the student handbook and all requests from ASB. The Sports Coordinator shall hold meetings with Captains to discuss issues and concerns, as well as collect financial information throughout the year, these meetings should occur at least once per season. The Sports Coordinator is the main point of contact for all sports representing Lincoln High school. The Sports Coordinator is responsible for creating all the online information relevant to sports and will send it to the Communications Coordinator, along with managing social media for Lincoln Seattle Athletics. The Sports Coordinator shall work closely with the Athletic Director to ensure that all teams are fairly represented and that all contact information is up to date. The sports coordinator shall represent sports teams at executive board meetings.

Section 10: A Class Representative is responsible for voicing their class’s opinion to the Executive Board and in planning of class events and fundraisers. Of the 4-6 Class Representatives from each class, there shall be two lead Class Representatives that preside over Class Council meetings. Of the lead Class Representatives, one shall act as Class Treasurer, and one shall act as Class President. All Class Representatives are strongly encouraged to attend Executive Board Meetings. Each class shall receive two votes on the Executive Board with the exception of the case where only one member from a class is in attendance. In that case, that class and Representative shall have only one vote at that meeting. If two Class Representatives are in attendance, those two Representatives shall automatically receive one vote each. If three or more Representatives from a class are present at a meeting, voting priority is given to the lead Class Representatives. It is the responsibility of each Class Council to have a predetermined system to allocate votes in the case of one or fewer lead Class Representatives being present. Said system shall be agreed upon by each Class Council at the start of each term. The 9th grade class is expected to raise a minimum of $500 during their 9th grade year, the 10th grade class is expected to raise a minimum of $1000 during their 10th grade year, the 11th grade class is expected to raise a minimum of $2000 during their 11th grade year, and the 12th grade class is expected to raise a minimum of $4000 during their 12th grade year.

Section 11: There will be two House Representatives from each house. These people shall be the main contact points for each house. The House Representatives are expected to facilitate all meetings with mentorship reps, establish the agenda for these meetings, and check in with mentorship reps to see if they have other things to add to the agenda. They are also expected to represent their house at Executive Board meetings. These people will remain in contact with the Spirit Coordinator to ensure there is always participation within houses at different events. They will lead by example during assemblies and lead their houses during various events throughout the school year, encouraging maximum participation. They will also be responsible for collecting and maintaining an accurate tally of house points obtained through house competitions throughout their term in office.

Section 12: There shall be two Running Start Representatives: one representing the 11th grade Running Start class, and one representing the 12th grade Running Start class. The Running Start Representatives ensure that the students in their class who attend Running Start are still informed and included in the school community. They will relay information about the school, such as games or other school events, to the students in Running Start. They will also work with the school counselors to make sure all students in Running Start have access to all the resources they need. The Running Start Representatives must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 college credits per quarter, with reasonable exceptions. They are expected to attend the Executive Board meetings.

Section 13: The ASB Parliamentarian shall serve as the procedural interpreter of the ASB Constitution for all functions of student government at Lincoln HS. It is their responsibility to offer recommendations about the constitutionality of ASB procedure, and to ensure, in collaboration with the officers of the Executive Board, that all functions of ASB are being carried out as outlined in the Constitution. The ASB Parliamentarian shall identify any ambiguities present in the ASB Constitution that may be relevant to the operation of student government and provide a recommendation to the Executive Board of how to address them. Based on these findings, the ASB Parliamentarian shall form and chair the Constitutional Amendments Committee each October to draft any constitutional amendments deemed necessary for the continued efficient operation of ASB. The ASB Parliamentarian is expected to attend Executive Board meetings.

Section 14: The ASB Chief Technology Officer shall serve as the manager for all technological operations of ASB. It is their responsibility to offer recommendations on the feasibility of the technological elements of any project undertaken by ASB. The Chief Technology Officer shall chair the Technology Committee, which will carry out the technological operations of ASB. They are also responsible for maintaining a record of all equipment accessible to ASB and providing recommendations for any equipment purchases made by ASB. The ASB Chief Technology Officer is expected to attend Executive Board meetings.

Article 6: Elections

Section 1: Elections for all positions, with the exceptions of the 9th grade Interim Representatives and the Running Start Representatives, shall be held in February of every school year.

Section 2: Elections shall be held in a manner that ensures fairness and allows voters to cast their ballots anonymously. Each voter is allowed to vote only once for each ASB office, each house office within the house they are a part of, and each class office within the grade level they are a part of.

Section 3: The right to vote in an ASB election shall be open to all enrolled students at Lincoln High School.

Section 4: At the end of the first quarter every year, an Elections Committee shall be formed, chaired by the ASB President, to determine the details and implementation of the elections for that year. Only members of the Executive Board that are not planning to run in the next election cycle are eligible to be a part of the Elections Committee. The Elections Committee can enlist the help of any member of Student Government to help with races that they are not directly involved with.

Section 5: All candidates for positions in Student Government, in order to be considered for office, must submit an application packet and candidate eligibility verification by the date set by the Elections Committee.

Section 6: Any person running for an Executive Board position who doesn’t win may become one of the Class Representatives based on a space available basis. A candidate may only run for one anonymous and one non-anonymous position in an election.

Section 7: All candidates for Club Coordinator, Sports Coordinator, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Communications Coordinator, and Public Relations Representative shall submit a statement, not to exceed 150 words, that indicates how they will be an approachable advocate for all students at LHS. This statement will appear on the ballot in place of candidate names, and LHS students will vote for the top 6 statements.

Section 8: All candidates for Club Coordinator, Sports Coordinator, Meeting Secretary, Financial Secretary, Communications Coordinator, and Public Relations Representative, will be elected as part of a pool of officers. None of these candidates will run for a specific position but will instead be assigned a position based on their particular strengths. These positions will be assigned by mutual agreement between the incoming officers, outgoing officers, and the advisor before the start of spring break of the school year in which they are elected.

Section 9: Elections for the Running Start Representative positions will be held in May of every school year, after AP testing. Candidates for both Running Start Representative positions will submit a statement, not to exceed 150 words, that indicates how they will be an effective representative for all LHS students enrolled in college courses. Only 11th grade students currently enrolled in Running Start and have a signed Enrollment Verification From may vote for 12th Grade Running Start Representative, and only 10th grade students who plan to enroll in Running Start and have a signed Enrollment Verification Form may vote for 11th Grade Running Start Representative.

Section 10: Candidates for ASB President and Spirit Coordinator shall make a speech that will be viewed in some manner by the student body.

Section 11: Candidates for Executive Board Treasurer shall also submit a statement, not to exceed 150 words, that indicates how they will be an effective Treasurer for the LHS student body. This statement shall appear on the ballot in place of student names, but it will be made clear that these candidates are specifically running for the role of Treasurer.

Section 12: Candidates for Class President shall make a speech that will be viewed in some manner by the students of that class.

Section 13: The runner up for Class President shall be offered the position of Class Treasurer. If they refuse the position, selection of the Treasurer shall be decided by the class council and ASB advisor. The selection must be ratified by the Executive Board within 2 weeks of the decision.

Section 14: All candidates for Class Office shall complete an interview with an unbiased Election Committee established by the current Executive Board members in conjunction with the ASB advisor. This committee shall select up to 4 people who will serve as Class Officer, who will be announced publicly at the same time as the Class President and Treasurer.

Section 15: Candidates for House Representative shall make a speech before their house in some method, and members of that house shall then vote for their house representative.

Section 16: Mentorship Representatives shall be selected through whatever process is deemed fit by that mentorship.

Section 17: If the Club, Sports, and/or Spirit Coordinator roles aren’t filled at the end of elections, the Election Committee shall select someone to fill the necessary role(s) based on an interview process completed the week after elections are over. The people filling these roles will be chosen from the group of Club Presidents, Sports Captains, or Spirit Committee members, respectively. This section supersedes the requirements for a special election as outlined in Article 7 unless the number of interview applicants exceeds the number of available positions by two or more.

Section 18: No candidate running anonymously is permitted to publish any variation of their statement online or in person in advance of the election. Candidates running publicly (Executive Board President, Class Presidents, House Representatives, and Spirit Coordinator) must adhere to all campaign guidelines laid out in the election packet.

Section 19: Candidates for all ASB and class officer positions elected using statements shall be selected based on a plurality of votes cast within a specified time frame during the election process.

Section 21: 9th grade interim class positions shall be comprised of a group of officers selected through an interview process as soon as possible after homecoming. The interview process shall be open to any students at Lincoln High School who are 9th graders at the time. The interviews shall be facilitated by a group of current ASB officers who shall decide on a pool of officers in collaboration with the ASB Advisor. The pool must include officers from at least 2 different middle schools.

Section 22: The ASB Parliamentarian shall be nominated by the ASB President, ASB advisor, and previous ASB Parliamentarian and confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Section 23: The ASB Chief Technology Officer shall be nominated by the ASB President, ASB advisor, and previous ASB Chief Technology Officer and confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Section 24: The positions of ASB Parliamentarian and ASB Chief Technology Officer may be filled by any member of Student Government. The ASB Parliamentarian and ASB Chief Technology Officer shall carry out the responsibilities of those roles in addition to any other duties that their other positions in Student Government require.

Section 25: The ASB Parliamentarian and ASB Chief Technology Officer shall serve in those positions for the entirety of their time in Lincoln HS Student Government after they are confirmed unless they resign prematurely. Normal term limit regulations do not apply for the positions of Parliamentarian and Chief Technology Officer.

Section 26: Officers selected in February shall have at least one day of mentoring with the previous occupant of the office they were elected to. After spring break, the newly elected officers shall assume their offices and hold them until spring break of the following year. The exception to this is the Class Officers of the 12th grade class, who shall maintain their roles until the end of the year.

Section 27: All election details not specified in this Constitution or by-laws are subject to review and determination by the Executive Board.

Article 7: Vacancies and Removals from Office

Section 1: Any Executive Board positions that remain unfilled at the time of the annual elections can be filled by students who ran for a position but were not selected. Any Executive Board positions that remain unfilled after that point shall be filled by holding an election as soon as reasonably possible, following the general election guidelines laid out previously in this document.

Section 2: If the President steps down for any reason at any point during the school year of their time in office, the Treasurer shall fill that role, with the assistance of the ASB advisor, until new elections can be held. New elections must be held within three months of the Treasurer taking the office of interim President. Should any Executive Board officer other than the President step down for any reason at any point during their time in office, a committee of Executive Board members shall be formed select replacements from a pool of prospective applicants. The committee’s selection shall be subject to a confirmation by the full Executive Board by a majority vote. In the event that the Executive Board votes against the appointment, the committee must repeat the process outlined above and present the Board with an alternate candidate in a timely manner. If the interim period that the replacement will serve is longer than three months, a special election must be held within those three months of the replacement taking office to confirm them or elect a new replacement.

Section 3: Should a vacancy on class council arise, the remaining Class Councilmembers shall select a replacement from a pool of prospective applicants. After a suitable replacement is appointed by the Class Council, the Executive Board must vote as to whether or not their appointment is approved. In the event that the Executive Board votes against the appointment, the Class Council must repeat the process outlined above and present the Board with an alternate candidate in a timely manner. If the interim period is longer than three months, a special election must be held in that time to confirm the interim Council Member or elect a new Council Member.

Section 4: Students who fail to meet expectations during their time in office will be handled individually on a case-by-case basis, and decisions made will involve a collaborative team of the ASB advisor and/or class advisor and student, as well as an administrator, and/or student’s family, depending on the situation. If the body that a student leader is a member of (i.e., Executive Board or a Class Council) believes that they are not meeting expectations during their time in office, other officers may call a vote of no confidence as outlined below:

If two members or 30% of a student leadership body (rounding up, whichever is greater) believes that a fellow member of that body is not meeting the expectations of their office, they may petition for a vote of no confidence to be held.
The vote of no confidence shall be scheduled for the next meeting of that body, provided that the student leader in question has been given at least two business days’ notice of the vote.
At the meeting, prior to the vote, both the petitioning and defending parties shall be given reasonable time to make their cases to the other members of the governing body.
If a member of a student leadership group that is not the Executive Board is removed by vote of no confidence, the Executive Board must ratify the removal. The leader of the body that administered the vote shall furnish a summary of the proceedings for the Executive Board Secretary or President. If the leader of the body is the member removed, another member must be chosen to write the summary. If the Executive Board administers a vote of no confidence against one of its members, no ratification is necessary, however the summary must be kept with the minutes of the Executive Board.
The removed member has the right to submit a refuting account of the case against them to the Executive Board and/or request an appeal of the decision.
In the case of an appeal, both the defendant and a representative from the body that administered the original vote of no confidence shall be given adequate time to speak at the following Executive Board meeting, and the Executive Board shall vote after receiving the new evidence.

Article 8: Student Organizations

Section 1: All Student Organizations must be granted a charter by the LHS Executive Board in order to be considered an official Lincoln High School Student Organization.

Section 2: In order to receive a charter, students wishing to start a Student Organization must submit an application and constitution that are in alignment with the LHS constitution within 15 days of application submission.

Section 3: In order to maintain their charter, all Organizations must revisit their constitution at least once per school year, make any changes or updates that they feel are necessary, and vote to ratify changes or keep their constitution as is, recording any revisions and the result of the vote in club minutes.

Section 4: In order to maintain their charter, all Organizations must submit an accurate budget that is submitted yearly per the instructions of the Treasurer, Financial Secretary, and/or Fiscal Specialist. An Organization must submit their current budget, as well as a record of all financial transactions that school year upon request of the Treasurer, Financial Secretary, or Fiscal Specialist at any time.

Section 5: In order to maintain their charter, all Student Organizations are expected to meet a minimum of once per quarter during the school year. Failure to meet the minimum expectations for meeting frequency will result in a loss of charter.

Section 6: All Student Organizations are required to have an advisor that is a currently employed staff member employed by Seattle Public Schools or an authorized contractor in a currently active contract with Seattle Public Schools.

Section 7: Organization advisors must be present at all official Organization meetings that involve financial transactions, voting, or any other activities that must be recorded in meeting minutes, regardless of whether these meetings take place during school hours. Organization meetings that do not require an advisor as mentioned above shall not take place on the Lincoln High School campus unless an advisor is present. Advisors must also be present on any official school-sanctioned Organization trips off the Lincoln High School campus. If the official Organization advisor cannot be present, any adult qualified under Article 10, Section 7 can be present in their place.

Section 8: All Organizations are required to have a minimum of two officers at all times. At least one officer must remain in contact with the ASB club coordinator throughout their time in office. Organizations can determine the officer positions needed, but it is recommended that at least a President and Secretary position be created. Additionally, each Organization must have at least one officer that, either in addition to their other duties or as their main responsibility, handles the financial matters of that organization. These officer positions and students that are in each position must be communicated to the ASB club coordinator as soon as they are created and/or filled.

Section 9: Organization officers are required to maintain meeting minutes for all Organization meetings that include voting on any topic, authorizing or completing a financial transaction, participating in a community-oriented activity or event, or anything of importance to the Organization. Meetings that are of little significance to the yearlong trajectory of the Organization do not require minutes. Minutes must be dated and organized and kept in a place (physical or online) where the Organization members, officers, and advisor can access them. Meeting minutes must travel with the Organization if a new advisor is selected. Meeting minutes must be maintained for the length of the Organization’s existence. Meeting minutes must be maintained even if the Organization does not participate in fundraising. The meeting minutes must be provided to the Club Coordinator at least once per quarter, and must be furnished for the Club Coordinator, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, President, or Activity Coordinator upon request. Failure to maintain accurate meeting minutes will result in a loss of charter.

Section 10: If an Organization is placed on probation, they must maintain minutes of every meeting and strictly abide by all regulations set forth by the LHS ASB, LHS Staff, and Seattle Public Schools. It is the responsibility of the Club Coordinator to ensure that all Organizations placed on probation comply with all regulations. If the Club Coordinator and Activity coordinator find any Organization on probation in violation of any regulation, they have the authority to immediately revoke that Organization’s charter, provided that they provide a reason and record it in the minutes of the next Executive Board Meeting. If a Student Organization has their charter revoked, they have the right to file an appeal with the Club Coordinator, whereupon they will be given the right to speak at the following Executive Board meeting before a vote is taken to reconsider the revocation of charter. Probation expires at the end of the school year following the school year when the probation was declared. Any Organization may request that probation be lifted early by submitting a letter to the Club Coordinator detailing how their Organization has improved the things that placed it on probation. Probation will be lifted upon approval by the Executive Board after the letter is read at the meeting following its submission to the Club Coordinator.

Section 11: If a Student Organization has their charter revoked they cannot be represented in the Assembly of Club Leaders. They also are not permitted to raise funds in connection with Lincoln High School and Seattle Public Schools. Upon having their charter revoked, an Organization shall have all funds in its account returned to the general ASB fund. An Organization may re-apply for a charter but cannot recover any lost funds if more than 1 year has passed since charter revocation.

Section 12: If there is evidence that a Student Organization is not abiding by the ASB Constitution or is participating in activities that are not consistent with the LHS ASB’s intended purpose, any member of the ASB Executive Board may request a vote to place it on probation or revoke its charter. At said vote, the Organization is permitted to send a representative and will be allotted time to speak after which Executive Board is permitted time to deliberate. If the vote succeeds, it is the responsibility of the Club Coordinator to inform the Organization that they have been placed on probation or had their charter revoked, followed by the reason for the decision.

Section 13: At the end of each school year, the Club Coordinator must furnish a list of chartered Student Organizations which have not followed the expectations outlined for them in this article. The list must then be presented to the Executive Board, which will vote on whether or not to put the Organization on probation.

Article 9: Athletic Groups

Section 1: All official Lincoln High School athletic groups are considered Student Organizations and are subject to school guidelines.

Section 2: All Lincoln High School athletic groups and all levels of teams are expected to designate specific students as their captains who shall be the points of contact for the group throughout the duration of the school year. These students shall be responsible for signing all financial paperwork and creating the budget for the athletic group in collaboration with the coach for that sport. Athletic groups are recommended to have a manager responsible for carrying out these tasks in collaboration with the captain(s) and coach(es). These students must be in contact with the ASB Sports Coordinator throughout the year. Club sports are encouraged to liaise with the Sports Coordinator, but it is not required.

Article 10: Fund Disbursement

Section 1: A Student Organization that loses its charter for any reason shall also forfeit any accumulated funds after a one-year freeze of their account. Any accumulated funds that are forfeited due to a loss of charter (after the one-year waiting period) shall be folded back into the ASB General Fund and used for the benefit of general student activities.

Section 2: A sport that exists one school year and then does not exist in subsequent years shall lose any accumulated funds after a one-year account freeze. These funds shall be folded back into the ASB General Fund.

Section 3: Any Student Organization or sports team that makes the decision to spend funds held in an ASB account must submit appropriate paperwork before the next ASB meeting, which must take place in advance of when the item will be purchased. Retroactive reimbursements shall be permitted only in extreme circumstances and are subject to increased scrutiny by the Executive Board.

Section 4: All Student Organizations and sports teams are responsible for maintaining a positive fund balance in their financial accounts at all times.

Section 5: Any funds that are unclaimed by Student Organizations or sports teams shall be folded back into the General ASB account, regardless of where they were the previous year and budgeted at the discretion of the Executive Board. Except for in the case of extenuating circumstances, this should only happen to excess funds in the account of the graduating class.

Section 6: It is the responsibility of the Treasurer and Financial Secretary to communicate the authorization of any transaction involving ASB funds to the relevant parties and record the authorization of each transaction involving ASB funds in the financial notes. At the start of the ASB term, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer and Financial Secretary to divide these responsibilities between themselves.

Article 11: Mentorship Representatives

Section 1: The Lincoln High School House Parliaments shall be composed of one attending member and one back up member from each mentorship class of each house.

Section2: The purpose of the organization shall be to ensure that the student body has a forum to express grievances to the Executive Board via the House Representatives and to organize house-wide events.

Section 3: Mentorship representatives shall be selected within the first month of the school year. If a mentorship does not select a representative, the teacher for that mentorship shall appoint one.

Section 4: Each house shall hold a House Parliament meeting once per month or as needed during Mentorship. Meeting times shall be set by the House Representatives in collaboration with administration.

Section 5: Mentorship Representatives shall serve for a term of one year and may be re-elected. Each Mentorship shall determine their own method of selecting their Representative. No member of the Executive Board may be selected as a Mentorship Representative while in office. If a Mentorship Representative is elected to the Executive Board, their Mentorship shall appoint a replacement immediately following their inauguration.

Article 12: Fundraisers

Section 1: In order to be approved by the Executive Board, all proposed fundraisers must comply with the following regulations:

a. Only one campus Organization can do a type of fundraiser within an indicated period. No overlapping of same or similar fundraising will be allowed. Fundraising proposals shall be approved on a first come, first served basis.

b. All food fundraisers must comply with district regulations and not compete with cafeteria services. It is up to the administering organization to ensure compliance.

c. Within two weeks of the beginning of each school year, the Lincoln High School Student Store shall submit to the Executive Board a list of all items and foods being sold in the Student Store for the upcoming year. The Executive Board shall, to the best of their ability, ensure that no fundraisers are approved that would infringe on the items sold at the Student Store. If the Student Store adds items to their list during the school year, those items must be submitted to the Executive Board for approvals as with any other fundraiser.

d. All clothing items, including uniforms, shall be approved for purchase only after submitting a detailed design proposal to the Executive Board.

e. Use of the LHS name or logo on any apparel must be approved by the ASB Exec Board.

Section 2: The ASB Advisor, Fiscal Specialist, ASB Meeting Secretary, ASB Financial Secretary and/or ASB Treasurer must maintain an ongoing calendar of fundraisers to prevent similar, overlapping fundraising events by various Student Organizations.

Section 3: A 10% fee will be deducted from the profits of a Student Organization’s fundraiser if it was started prior to the approval of the ASB Executive Board and/or without the appropriate financial paperwork being submitted before the next ASB meeting and in advance of the beginning of the fundraising event. This fee will be folded into the ASB General Fund.

Article 13: ASB Cards

Section 1: The cost of ASB cards shall be $45 for all. This can be adjusted by Constitutional Amendment (temporary or permanent) based on extraneous financial factors upon approval by the Executive Board.

Section 2: All members of the Lincoln High School ASB who have in their possession a current ASB Student Discount Card shall be given the privilege of student discounts for ASB-sponsored activities. All ASB activities shall include a discounted rate for students who hold a Lincoln High School ASB card for the current school year. The Executive Board shall release a list of privileges granted to ASB cardholders every year.

Section 3: If a student is unable to purchase an ASB student card due to financial difficulties, obtaining one can be done by referral by a school counsellor or administration.

Article 14: Temporary Changes to the Constitution

Section 1: If the Executive Board determines that a temporary change to the Constitution is necessary to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently, they may adopt the change by a majority vote at any session of the Executive Board.

Section 2: Any member of the Executive Board may propose a Temporary Amendment to the Constitution by submitting it in writing to the ASB President and Meeting Secretary.

Section 3: Temporary Amendments to the Constitution must be recorded in the Executive Board minutes and kept with the Constitution only for the duration that the Temporary Amendment is in effect. Once the Amendment expires, it may be removed from the Constitution, but any records of its passage must be kept in the minutes.

Section 4: Temporary Amendments to the Constitution shall remain in effect until the end of the school year in which they are passed, or at an expiry date set by the Executive Board, whichever comes first.

Section 5: Temporary Amendments are not subject to any restrictions on Amendments outlined in Article 15, including but not limited to the restriction on when they can be adopted.

Section 6: The interpretation of any ambiguities in this document lies at the discretion of the Executive Board and shall be handled on a case-by-case basis. If any member of the Executive Board desires to correct an ambiguity in a consistent manner, it is recommended that they submit the correction as a temporary or a permanent Amendment.

Article 15: Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1: These by-laws may be permanently amended by majority vote at any full meeting of the Executive Board, provided that proposed Amendments have been submitted in writing to the ASB President and Secretary. An Amendment may be deemed “Substantial” by the Constitution Committee or by the Executive Board following a review of all proposed Amendments. If an Amendment is deemed substantial, it must be ratified by a joint council including the Class Council and Mentorship Representatives in conjunction with the Executive Board. This process shall be used for the ratification of any Amendments except for election guidelines as previously stated in the by-laws or Temporary Amendments as previously stated in Article 14.

Section 2: Amendments may not be proposed or adopted between the Start of the ASB elections process and the date in which the new officers step fully into their new positions.

Section 3: An Amendment may be proposed by any member of the student body, provided they submit their suggestion in written form to the President and Secretary of the Executive Board. The President and Secretary are required to introduce at the next meeting and either the original individual or a representative they selected must attend that meeting and be prepared to speak for their amendment. If a representative cannot attend said meeting, they may submit a written statement to be read aloud at the meeting in place of their testimony.

Section 4: The approval and adoption of all Amendments to the ASB Constitution shall be enacted and recorded through use of the form below (online or physical):

Approved by Student Council on ____________ of ______________, 20______.

Approved by Lincoln High School Student Body on _______, _______ to _______.

Position __________________ Signature ____________________________

ASB Advisor__________________ Signature __________________________

ASB President_________________ Signature __________________________