ASB Constitution
Bellevue Big Picture School Constitution
- PREAMBLE
- ARTICLE I. TITLE
- ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
- ARTICLE III. ASB COUNCIL OFFICES
- ARTICLE IV. GOVERNING POWERS
- ARTICLE V. SUCCESSION TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES
- ARTICLE VI. BUDGET
- ARTICLE VII. BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
- ARTICLE VIII. VETO POWER
- ARTICLE IX. ORGANIZATION CHARTERS AND STATUS
- ARTICLE X. CLUBS
- ARTICLE XI. RATIFICATION
- ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS
- ARTICLE XIII. BYLAWS
PREAMBLE
ARTICLE I. TITLE
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE III. ASB COUNCIL OFFICES
Section I. CLASS REPRESENTATIVES
- Two student representatives shall be elected from each grade, one president and one vice-president.
Section II. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
- Executive Council offices are school-wide ASB offices. Executive Council offices are distributed so that at least one student from each grade may be elected to the Executive Council.
Section III. ASB COUNCIL
- The ASB Council consists of the Executive Council and the Class Representatives.
Section IV. VACANT POSITIONS
- If no one is elected for a position on the executive council after spring and fall elections, the ASB Council reserves the right to vote any willing and qualified Big Picture student into said role with a majority vote of the ASB council, regardless of grade level.
Section V. MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
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All BPASB officers must have purchased BPASB membership.
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The Executive Council offices (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Club Coordinator, and Community Outreach) shall be elected at the end of the year preceding their term in office. In the case that a position is not filled, it will be a part of the fall election season.
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Class representatives will be selected from each grade at the end of the year preceding their term in office. In the case that a position is not filled, it will be a part of the fall election season.
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6th grade elections will be held within the first two months of the new school year.
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Every BPASB council member must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
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If an ASB officer is deemed by the Advising Team (ASB Advisor(s) and an administrator, when relevant) to have a pattern of disengagement, disruptiveness, disrespect, or otherwise not performing their duty during meetings or events, then the Advising Team may sanction the officer at their own discretion.
Section VI. RECURRING ABSENCES
- If an ASB officer has two unexcused absences as determined by the ASB advisor, they must meet with the ASB advising team.
- After an additional unexcused absence, the ASB advising team will decide a consequence by their own discretion, which may be removal from ASB.
- It is up to the discretion of the ASB advising team to determine when a tardy becomes an absence, but typically follows school district guidelines.
- Two unexcused tardies count as one unexcused absence.
Section VII. MULTIPLE OFFICERS PER POSITION
- The executive roles of treasurer, secretary, and president may be occupied by two students from the same grade. No other positions can be filled by two students.
- In the event that two students wish to be elected for treasurer, secretary, or president, they shall run on a single ticket and, if elected, serve in the capacity of a single position.
- If they do not run together initially, they can only be elected as a single person to a single office.
Section VIII. THE BPASB CLASS REPRESENTATIVE SHALL:
1. Be one of two students elected per grade from the Big Picture student body.
2. Attend all ASB Council meetings and take an active role in representing the best interests of the members of their grade.
3. Help propose, plan, and put on dances, spirit events, ASB-related PMUs, and other activities. Be willing to devote time outside the weekly ASB team meeting to support and plan activities.
4. Attend and participate in spirit events and ASB-related PMUs as their schedule allows.
5. Assist executive officers in their duties.
6. If applicable, plan and participate in fundraising for their elected class.
7. Attend and represent BBPS at any district-level Student Senate or ASB Council meetings. Report back to the BBPS ASB Council.
Section IX. THE BPASB PRESIDENT SHALL:
1. Be a 12th grader elected by the Big Picture Student Body. If the position is unfilled in the spring election, it will be available to all high school grade levels in the upcoming fall election.
2. Preside over all ASB council meetings.
3. Have an awareness and understanding of all student activities.
4. Coordinate proposed activities with the assistant principal, ASB Vice President, and other ASB officers.
5. Encourage the involvement of other ASB and class officers in the planning and implementation of activities.
6. Preside over any general meetings of the BPASB student membership.
7. Appoint all BPASB committees and have knowledge of their proceedings.
8. Assist in the preparation of current and future school year budgets.
Section X. THE BPASB VICE PRESIDENT SHALL:
1. Be an 8th grader elected by the Big Picture Student Body. If the position is unfilled in the spring election, it will be available to all middle school grade levels in the upcoming fall election.
2. Have an awareness and understanding of all student activities.
3. Act as liaison between the middle and high school.
4. Encourage the involvement of other ASB and class officers in the planning and implementation of activities.
5. Represent middle school student interests to the ASB Council and be a strong leader of middle school ASB members.
Section XI. THE BPASB TREASURER SHALL:
1. Be an 11th grader elected by the Big Picture Student Body. If the position is unfilled in the spring election, it will be available to all high school grade levels in the upcoming fall election.
2. Coordinate with office manager/accountant to actively track general ASB, class, and club accounts.
3. Present a monthly (or when appropriate) financial report to the ASB Council.
4. Serve on the Big Picture Budget Committee to prepare the following school year’s BPASB budget.
Section XII. THE BPASB COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICER SHALL:
1. Be a 10th grader elected by the Big Picture Student Body. If the position is unfilled in the spring election, it will be available to all high school grade levels in the upcoming fall election.
2. Oversee BPASB advertising (posters, e-mails, announcements, etc.)
3. Communicate with school newspaper/ newsletter, video productions, social media accounts, and website about ASB activities.
4. Find potential volunteer or community service opportunities and share them with the ASB Council and ASB Advisor.
Section XIII. THE BPASB SECRETARY(S) SHALL:
1. Be a 9th grader(s) elected by the Big Picture Student Body. If the position is unfilled in the spring election, it will be available to all high school grade levels in the upcoming fall election.
2. Organize and record the agendas of ASB Council meetings.
3. Take attendance at weekly ASB meetings.
4. Take accurate minutes of each ASB Council meeting. With assistance from the ASB advisor, the secretary may also make meeting minutes available to staff or students on request.
Section XIV. THE BPASB CLUB COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER SHALL:
1. Be a 7th grader elected by the Big Picture Student Body. If the position is unfilled in the spring election, it will be available to all middle school grade levels in the upcoming fall election.
2. As needed, the BPASB President may appoint an additional High School Club Communications Officer to check in with high school clubs (for example, if the middle school schedule conflicts with high school club meeting times). This responsibility may be given to an already elected Class Representative, or to a high school student who did not previously hold elected ASB office.
3. Help students interested in starting new clubs to find information and applications.
4. Communicate with clubs about how ASB can support them.
5. Quarterly or as requested, report on club activity to the ASB Council.
6. Help remind clubs of the spring budget process (submitting budgets for the following year to ASB).
Section XV. THE BPASB SPIRIT COORDINATOR SHALL:
1. Be a 6th grader elected by the Big Picture Student Body. This position is elected each year in the fall election.
2. Help initiate and plan spirit weeks. Gather feedback from students about spirit days they would be interested in participating in.
3. Boost school morale by participating in spirit days and getting peers involved.
ARTICLE IV. GOVERNING POWERS
ARTICLE V. SUCCESSION TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES
Section I. PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION
- In the event the BPASB president is no longer able to hold office (physical or mental inability to function, or impeachment by the principal and BPASB Advisor) the 12th grade class president shall succeed them.
- If there is no 12th grade president, the ASB advising team will choose the next successor.
Section II. GENERAL SUCCESSION
- If any other elected ASB positions become vacant, the ASB Council shall select a successor to fulfill the remainder of the term by a majority vote.
ARTICLE VI. BUDGET
The Big Picture Budget Committee shall consist of the Principal, the BPASB Advisor(s), the school accountant/office manager, and the current BPASB Treasurer and BPASB President. It shall be the duty of this committee to oversee the preparation of a BPASB Budget for the following fiscal year and submit it to the Bellevue School Board of Directors for its approval. Additionally, the Treasurer shall be in at least monthly communication with the Bellevue Big Picture School Accountant to track ASB accounts, funds raised, and expenditures by ASB organizations.
ARTICLE VII. BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
Section I. BILL DEFINITION
- A bill is defined as any proposal that must be approved by the BPASB council members, BPASB advisor(s) and the principal of the Bellevue Big Picture School. Any bill or resolution may be brought from the floor of the ASB Council.
Section II. BILL AGENDA
- To be placed on the ASB Council agenda, a bill or resolution must be submitted to one of the BPASB Executive Council Members prior to the ASB Council meeting.
Section III. BILL APPROVAL
- Any ASB Council bill or resolution that receives a majority of the votes cast by ASB Council and fits the requirement to be voted upon by the entire BPASB student membership shall be presented to the BPASB student membership for a general vote within 10 school days. A bill or resolution will then become law after its passage unless the administration vetoes the bill or resolution within 15 school days after the vote.
ARTICLE VIII. VETO POWER
Section I. VETO AUTHORITY
- The principal and ASB advisor(s) of BBPS have the authority to veto any bill that shall be passed by the ASB Council.
Section II. VETO DEADLINES
- If a bill is vetoed by the principal, it must be returned to the ASB Council within 30 school days of final passage by the ASB Council.
ARTICLE IX. ORGANIZATION CHARTERS AND STATUS
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To receive BPASB recognition, ASB-sponsored organizations need to be voted upon by the ASB Council each new year. A majority vote by ASB Council for approval shall permit the organization to have official status within the BPASB activity program.
- All participants in ASB sanctioned groups are required to have purchased ASB membership. Failure to have ASB membership within a timely manner (up to the discretion of the ASB) is grounds for suspension or removal from the organization.
ARTICLE X. CLUBS
Section I. CLUB DEFINITION
- Clubs are an ASB sponsored group of people that share similar interests and are supervised by at least one staff member or community volunteer. Clubs must be approved through the ASB Council.
Section II. CLUB MEMBERSHIP
- All clubs must have a president, treasurer, and secretary. Club members in each club must agree on their own process for choosing these officers. Additionally, all members are required to purchase ASB membership.
Section III. CLUB MINUTES
- Secretaries must take minutes and attendance at all club meetings.
ARTICLE XI. RATIFICATION
ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE XIII. BYLAWS
Section I. BYLAW AMENDMENTS:
- The bylaws in this Article may be amended by a majority vote of ASB Council.
Section II. RESOLUTION AND BYLAWS:
- A resolution is an official statement of opinion by ASB Council. A bylaw is an official clarification or addition to procedures by ASB Council. A bylaw is passed in the same manner as a ‘bill’ and will not override the constitution.
Section III. STANDARD FORM FOR BILL PRESENTATION:
- When the appropriate time occurs, the sponsor of the bill shall read the bill and answer any questions about it. No debate will be allowed at that time. When all questions are clarified, a motion is needed to accept or reject the bill. Debate shall begin after questions and continue until the motion is called and carried. The chair (ASB President) shall then restate the motion and a vote will be held.
Section IV. APPOINTMENT OF BPASB OFFICER ASSISTANTS:
Any officer may appoint an assistant. Assistants can work on small projects given to them by their ASB officer and must have an ASB membership. Assistants can be appointed under the following procedure:
- The student will be presented to the ASB Council for approval.
- Duties will be outlined to the ASB Council by the officer involved.
- That officer will be responsible for informing the ASB Council at the time the assistant stops performing their job.
Section V. COMMITTEES:
- A committee can be created from the members of the BPASB officers to fulfill a purpose designated by the ASB Council.
- A committee may disband itself when its purpose has been fulfilled.
- A committee may be removed by a 2/3-majority vote of the ASB Council.
Section VI. INTERPRETATIONS:
- Webster’s Dictionary shall be consulted on all words and definitions at BBPS over which questions arise, before constitutional decisions and interpretations are made.
- Any questions of interpretation of this constitution shall be decided by a majority vote of the ASB Council or an executive order from the principal. Additionally, the entirety of this constitution is subject and beholden unto the policies and laws of Washington State and the Bellevue School District.
Section VII. ELECTIONS:
- Elections will be held in the spring of each year. The term shall be four quarters long, starting after elections with the new officers observing. The new officers and existing officers will work together for the remainder of the school year.
- The present students will be allowed to vote for BPASB Executive Council positions. No seniors shall be allowed to vote during spring elections.
- If there are more than two candidates for a student office, the winner must have 40% of the votes. If the winner does not, there will be a run off between the two closest candidates. If only two candidates run for a particular office, the candidate with the most votes wins.
- Incoming classes to BBPS shall hold fall elections for the 6th grade executive position (spirit coordinator), 6th grade representatives, and unfilled positions from spring elections. Fall elections shall be held before the end of the first quarter of each school year in accordance with the above laws.