THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of the organization is the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
The purpose of the Gay Straight Alliance shall be to provide an atmosphere of love and acceptance for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. All students and faculty are welcome to our meetings and events, as we strive to achieve a culture of acceptance and diversity on our campus and in the community. We will plan activities for LGBT History Month in October and additional events throughout the year as well.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
The members of the Gay Straight Alliance will consist of voting members including club officers and general members. Votes on club activities and decisions shall be determined by a majority vote of the members who are present at a duly called meeting of the club.
ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS
The club shall announce and hold regular meetings throughout the year. Meeting times and locations will be determined by the faculty advisor and club members. Meetings are open to all individuals. Meetings will be announced through electronic correspondence in advance, and minutes from each meeting will be available to club members following each meeting.
ARTICLE V. VOTING
ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1: President:
Plans agendas for meetings.
Communicates with and assists faculty advisor regularly.
Presides over club meetings.
Section 2: Vice-President:
Assists the president with duties as requested by the president or advisor.
Assumes the duties of the president at the absence or request of the president.
Introduces speakers and presides over special events.
Section 3: Secretary:
Records and publishes minutes of meetings.
Handles correspondence for all club activities.
Keeps records of agendas, minutes, and member information.
Section 4: Treasurer:
Keeps financial records of expenditures and receipts.
Requests funds for expenditures with faculty advisor’s approval.
Reports financial status at meetings.
Section 5: Parliamentarian
Attends the club and maintains peace throughout the club.
Must not shout to get everyones attention.
When the secretary is not in attendance, they must do the secretary's job
Section 6: Historian
Must attend all the events that the club organizes, take pictures, upload the pictures to the club website, Facebook, and create a scrapbook/slideshow including all of the club's events.
Respects student’s or faculty's privacy if they do not want to be in a picture.
When the parliamentarian is not in attendance, they must do the parliamentarian’s job
Section 7: Event Coordinator
Must attend the events that they are in charge of, step up and take leadership of events.
Come up with new projects that the club should do.
When the secretary is not in attendance, they must do the secretary's job
Section 8: Communications
Help people remember when the next GSA meeting is through (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/etc.)
When the parliamentarian is not in attendance, they must do the parliamentarian’s job
ARTICLE VI. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS
At the first meeting of each fall semester, the faculty advisor will explain the duties of each officer and request volunteers to hold office for the academic year. If more than one person volunteers for a position, those individuals will explain their desire to hold and intentions for holding that office, at which time all present individuals will vote for who they wish to hold that position. The person who receives the most votes will hold that office for the academic year. If an officer is vacated at any time throughout the academic year, club members will volunteer and vote for the replacement officer at the next possible meeting.
ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENT
This constitution may be amended or repealed by the club. An amendment approved by a majority vote may be submitted to the faculty advisor to make the necessary changes through the Student Activities Board.
ARTICLE XIII. EXPENDITURES
Expenditures of Gay Straight Alliance funds will be for approved activities only. Approval of all activities and budgets for those activities will be a majority vote of members present at the club meetings.
ARTICLE XIV. PRIVACY AND PROTECTION OF MEMEBERS
The members of Gay Straight Alliance have the right under this constitution to privacy and respect in meetings. In order to prevent accidently outing someone or endangering them, club members must refrain from talking about specific details outside of the club, and if asked a member or officer, must not speak about that said detail outside of meetings. If any detail is released that the officers or club members asked not to be so, then disciplinary action will be taken against the party who released said information.
ARTICLE XV: DISCIPLINARY ACTION
When disciplinary action is seen as needed, club officers and the party who is seen as needing disciplinary action will such hold a small tribunal to discuss that party's fate. If more then one party is involved, the club officers and sponsor will hear both sides of the story before coming to a decision based on factual evidence alone. If any officer feels that they will be biased in anyway, they must say so and step down while a neutral party is brought in.
Section 1:
The disciplinary actions will go as such;
1. A direct warning with no referral from the club
2. Suspensions from one meeting and no referral from club
3. Suspension from two meetings and no referral from club
4. Suspension from four meetings, that said party is no longer allowed on any club trips or activities (including but not limited to Sunserve events and Relay For Life) and no referral from club.
5. Expulsion from club for the rest of the year, any attendance to club meetings if expelled will be considered trespassing, and referral to the school by the club.
5. Expulsion from the club to be carried out even as the party moves up in grade, and any attendance during this expulsion will be considered trespassing and referral to the school by club.
6. Any actions considered harmful to the club are considered criminal acts and school action will be taken.
Any punishment is subject to change by majority vote of club officers and sponsor to what they see fit.
Section 2: Expulsion from club
Expulsion from club is the final act a club can take along with having the school take action. Expulsion can be for the rest of the school year or permanently , the party never allowed back into club despite moving up grades.
Expulsion from the club but be a majority vote between officers and with the permission of the club sponsor, who must hold an unbiased veto power.
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of the organization is the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
The purpose of the Gay Straight Alliance shall be to provide an atmosphere of love and acceptance for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. All students and faculty are welcome to our meetings and events, as we strive to achieve a culture of acceptance and diversity on our campus and in the community. We will plan activities for LGBT History Month in October and additional events throughout the year as well.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
The members of the Gay Straight Alliance will consist of voting members including club officers and general members. Votes on club activities and decisions shall be determined by a majority vote of the members who are present at a duly called meeting of the club.
ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS
The club shall announce and hold regular meetings throughout the year. Meeting times and locations will be determined by the faculty advisor and club members. Meetings are open to all individuals. Meetings will be announced through electronic correspondence in advance, and minutes from each meeting will be available to club members following each meeting.
ARTICLE V. VOTING
- All members of the Gay Straight Alliance are eligible to vote.
- Voting shall be conducted online or by ballots.
- Proxies or absentee votes will not be accepted.
- All meetings will be conducted orderly but informally.
ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1: President:
Plans agendas for meetings.
Communicates with and assists faculty advisor regularly.
Presides over club meetings.
Section 2: Vice-President:
Assists the president with duties as requested by the president or advisor.
Assumes the duties of the president at the absence or request of the president.
Introduces speakers and presides over special events.
Section 3: Secretary:
Records and publishes minutes of meetings.
Handles correspondence for all club activities.
Keeps records of agendas, minutes, and member information.
Section 4: Treasurer:
Keeps financial records of expenditures and receipts.
Requests funds for expenditures with faculty advisor’s approval.
Reports financial status at meetings.
Section 5: Parliamentarian
Attends the club and maintains peace throughout the club.
Must not shout to get everyones attention.
When the secretary is not in attendance, they must do the secretary's job
Section 6: Historian
Must attend all the events that the club organizes, take pictures, upload the pictures to the club website, Facebook, and create a scrapbook/slideshow including all of the club's events.
Respects student’s or faculty's privacy if they do not want to be in a picture.
When the parliamentarian is not in attendance, they must do the parliamentarian’s job
Section 7: Event Coordinator
Must attend the events that they are in charge of, step up and take leadership of events.
Come up with new projects that the club should do.
When the secretary is not in attendance, they must do the secretary's job
Section 8: Communications
Help people remember when the next GSA meeting is through (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/etc.)
When the parliamentarian is not in attendance, they must do the parliamentarian’s job
ARTICLE VI. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS
At the first meeting of each fall semester, the faculty advisor will explain the duties of each officer and request volunteers to hold office for the academic year. If more than one person volunteers for a position, those individuals will explain their desire to hold and intentions for holding that office, at which time all present individuals will vote for who they wish to hold that position. The person who receives the most votes will hold that office for the academic year. If an officer is vacated at any time throughout the academic year, club members will volunteer and vote for the replacement officer at the next possible meeting.
ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENT
This constitution may be amended or repealed by the club. An amendment approved by a majority vote may be submitted to the faculty advisor to make the necessary changes through the Student Activities Board.
ARTICLE XIII. EXPENDITURES
Expenditures of Gay Straight Alliance funds will be for approved activities only. Approval of all activities and budgets for those activities will be a majority vote of members present at the club meetings.
ARTICLE XIV. PRIVACY AND PROTECTION OF MEMEBERS
The members of Gay Straight Alliance have the right under this constitution to privacy and respect in meetings. In order to prevent accidently outing someone or endangering them, club members must refrain from talking about specific details outside of the club, and if asked a member or officer, must not speak about that said detail outside of meetings. If any detail is released that the officers or club members asked not to be so, then disciplinary action will be taken against the party who released said information.
ARTICLE XV: DISCIPLINARY ACTION
When disciplinary action is seen as needed, club officers and the party who is seen as needing disciplinary action will such hold a small tribunal to discuss that party's fate. If more then one party is involved, the club officers and sponsor will hear both sides of the story before coming to a decision based on factual evidence alone. If any officer feels that they will be biased in anyway, they must say so and step down while a neutral party is brought in.
Section 1:
The disciplinary actions will go as such;
1. A direct warning with no referral from the club
2. Suspensions from one meeting and no referral from club
3. Suspension from two meetings and no referral from club
4. Suspension from four meetings, that said party is no longer allowed on any club trips or activities (including but not limited to Sunserve events and Relay For Life) and no referral from club.
5. Expulsion from club for the rest of the year, any attendance to club meetings if expelled will be considered trespassing, and referral to the school by the club.
5. Expulsion from the club to be carried out even as the party moves up in grade, and any attendance during this expulsion will be considered trespassing and referral to the school by club.
6. Any actions considered harmful to the club are considered criminal acts and school action will be taken.
Any punishment is subject to change by majority vote of club officers and sponsor to what they see fit.
Section 2: Expulsion from club
Expulsion from club is the final act a club can take along with having the school take action. Expulsion can be for the rest of the school year or permanently , the party never allowed back into club despite moving up grades.
Expulsion from the club but be a majority vote between officers and with the permission of the club sponsor, who must hold an unbiased veto power.