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Yokohama International

School

High School

Student Council Constitution

Last Amended: June 3, 2011

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We the students of Yokohama International School, in order to form a more perfect
union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the High School
Student Council of Yokohama International School:
Article I

The name of this organization shall be known as the Yokohama International School
High School Student Council.

Article II

The aims of this Student Council shall be as follows:


a) To uphold the general well-being of the student body and school
community.
b) To promote a sense of harmony, tolerance and understanding amongst
the students, and between students and the rest of the school
community.
c) To represent the student body’s interests effectively and accurately and
to act as a mediator between the student body and
faculty/administration.

Article III

The Student Council shall be comprised of five representatives from each tutor group
of each grade, six of whom shall hold the positions of President, Vice-President,
Secretary, Treasurer, I.T. Engineer and Vice Officer. All members of the Student
Council shall hold office for a term of 1 school year.

Article IV

The Yokohama International School Student Council shall be responsible for duties
inter alia:
a) The organization of the school wide fundraiser for charity.
b) The finding of compromises on issues of disagreement between students and
the administration.
c) The organization and hosting of High School Student Dances, excluding the
High School Junior and Senior Prom.
d) The hosting of the new-student orientation for new students in the high school.
e) The promotion of good relations between YIS and other schools.
f) The organization of hosting of Spirit Day.
g) The assisting of the Arcade at the annual YIS Food Fair

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Article V

Section 1. Election of members

A. Any student who will be enrolled in the YIS high school the following
academic year has the right to run for office as a representative of their class
for the following academic year.
B. Each grade shall be limited to five representatives.
C. Students running for the position of class representative should be discouraged
from campaigning prior to election procedures.
D. It is the responsibility of the aspiring representatives to read this constitution
and to announce their candidacy to their homeroom tutor.
E. Elections shall be held during an extended homeroom during which the
proceedings shall consist of:
a. Maximum 1 minute speaking time per candidate.
b. Following all of the speeches, there shall be a maximum 5 minute
question and answer session that would allow any student to ask a
candidate any question regarding their potential position on student
council.
c. Each student shall be given five anonymous votes, to be completed
within the extended homeroom.
i. The voter cannot vote for one person more than once. If there
is one candidate’s name written on the ballot more than once,
then the ballot shall be canceled.
ii. If more than five names are put onto the ballot, then the ballot
shall be canceled.
d. Following voting proceedings, the tutors shall collect the ballots and
conduct an official count, publicizing the results as soon as possible.

Section 2. Election of President and Vice-President

A. Only rising Juniors and Seniors that have already been elected as class
representatives shall be eligible for President and/or Vice-President.
B. All candidates must have some form of leadership experience. A position of
leadership is defined as being responsible for running an official group of at
least 10 or more members for a period of at least three months.
C. If interested representatives meet the qualifications in Article 5.2.A and Article
5.2.B, candidates must complete an “Intent of Presidential Candidacy” form,
proving their leadership experience and gaining approval from the Student
Council Advisor.
D. Public campaigning is encouraged, but any use of posters must be cleared with
the relevant principal.
E. Any use of expletives in campaign material or speeches shall result in the
termination of that candidacy. The same consequences will follow if a
candidate uses negative publicity in their campaign. This would be defined by
a campaign that emphasizes the negative aspects of an opponent rather than
one's own positive attributes.
F. Elections shall be held a minimum of two school days following class elections,
and the proceedings shall be as follows:

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a. The order of speeches shall be decided beforehand in the presence of
the Student Council Advisor.
b. Each candidate shall be allotted a maximum of 3 minutes for speeches.
c. Following speeches, there shall be a maximum 10-minute question and
answer session during which at least 1 question shall be designated for
rising Freshmen.
d. Each student shall be given 1 vote.
e. Votes shall be counted by faculty and/or graduating seniors from the
student council immediately following the completion of voting
procedures.
f. Results shall be announced immediately following the counting. Before
the winning candidate for President enters on the Execution of Office,
they shall take the following oath. This is done by placing one hand on
the constitution and other in the air while the administrator, the
previous President, articulates the oath in the affirmative, and in the
first person, so that the President takes the oath by repeating it
verbatim:
"I, [insert name] do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of
President of the High School Student Council of Yokohama International School, and
will to the best of my ability, preserve, and implement the Constitution of the Student
Council.”
g. The newly-elected president and vice-president then shall be given 30
seconds each to speak to the student body.

Section 3. Election of Treasurer and Secretary

The election of treasurer and secretary shall be completed during the first student
council meeting. All juniors and seniors (aside from the president and vice-president)
shall be eligible for treasurer or secretary. Each candidate shall be allowed 30 seconds
for a speech. Each member of the student council shall be given 1 vote, and the
winning candidate for each position shall gain office with the highest number of votes.
Votes will be collected by secret ballot.

Section 4. Election of I.T. Engineer

The election of I.T. engineer shall be completed during the first student council
meeting. All student council members (aside from the president, vice-president,
secretary, treasurer or vice officer) shall be eligible for the position. Each candidate
shall be allowed 30 seconds for a speech. The demonstration of an adept ability to use
technology during the speech is highly recommended. Each member of the student
council shall be given 1 vote, and the winning candidate for each position shall gain
office with the highest number of votes. Votes will be collected by secret ballot.

Section 5. Election of Vice Officer


The election of vice officer shall be completed during the first student council meeting.
All 9th, 10th and 11th grade representatives (aside from the president, vice-president,
secretary, treasurer or I.T. engineer) shall be eligible for the position. Each candidate
shall be allowed 30 seconds for a speech. Each member of the student council shall be
given 1 vote, and the winning candidate for each position shall gain office with the
highest number of votes. Votes will be collected by secret ballot.

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Article VI

A. Upon unexcused absences of council members, the council will operate under
a “Three Strike System”. An excused absence would be defined as “the
deliberate action of not attending a meeting in favor of recreational activities
and failing to tell the President or Vice President of their absence.” Refer to
Article 8.h.iv regarding excused absences.
B. The awarding of ‘strikes’ will be at the discretion of the executive committee.
C. The council member will receive a warning upon each unexcused absence.
Upon the third strike, the council member will receive an official warning from
the executive committee and council advisor. This warning will also come in
the form of an announcement to the representative’s grade informing them
that the council member is failing to fulfill their duties.
D. Subsequent strikes against a council member will be dealt with on a case-by-
case basis.

Article VII

A. If there is a formal complaint raised against any member of the student


council, the executive committee (the President, Vice-President, Secretary and
Treasurer) will review the complaint. They will then report to the rest of the
student council their consensus on the matter of the complaint.
B. A formal complaint must take the form of a written letter that is addressed to
the entire student council that is sponsored through the signature of a
minimum of 10 faculty, administration and/or students. It is suggested the
Student Council Complaint Template” forms are used to do so.
C. Student Council must ensure that “Student Council Complaint Template”
forms are made available to the student body in the case that they wish to file a
complaint.
D. Before voting, the member in question shall have the right to defend him or
herself with a maximum of a 2-minute speech.
E. Once the report has been made and the speech concluded, each member of
the student council shall be required to vote via a secret ballot. The member in
question shall be excluded from voting. If the member is a part of the
executive committee, then that person shall be excluded from the initial
revisionary committee, and they shall be replaced by a member of the student
council appointed by the student council advisor.
F. The member in question may only be discharged through a two-thirds
majority vote.
G. Following the above proceedings, no matter what the outcome, it shall be the
responsibility of the secretary to reply to the formal complaint in another
formal letter.
H. The replacement for any a member discharged from the student council shall
be appointed in the following manner:
a. If the member that has been dismissed from the Student Council is not
a member of the executive committee, then the grade that the
impeached member belongs to shall elect a new representative as soon
as possible.

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b. If the member that has been dismissed from the Student Council is a
member of the executive committee, the following actions shall be
taken:
i. If the discharged member is the secretary, treasurer, I.T.
engineer or vice officer:
1. The grade that the impeached member belongs to shall
elect a new member as soon as possible. It should be
noted that the voting process should be identical as that
outlined in Article 5.1.
2. Once the new representative assumes Student Council
Duties, the Council shall hold a vote for a replacement
officer. The voting process shall be identical as that
outlined in Article 5.3, 5.4 or 5.5 in respect to their
specific position. The only difference is that the election
shall be held at the earliest time possible.
ii. If the dismissed member is the President, the Vice-President
shall assume the duties of the President. A vote shall be
conducted among the Student Council at the earliest time
possible following the discharge of the President. Candidates
shall consist of Juniors and Seniors, and a simple majority is
needed for election. The treasurer and the secretary can also be
considered as candidates. If the new vice-president was prior
the secretary or treasurer, a new secretary or treasurer shall be
elected via the guidelines outlined in Article 7.H.b.i.2.
iii. If the dismissed member is the vice-president, the grade that the
discharged member belongs to shall elect a new representative.
Following the initiation of the new representative, a vote for the
new vice-president shall be taken according to the voting
procedures outlined in Article 7.H.b.i.2.
I. The headmaster shall have the authority to bypass the above methodology and
dismiss any member of the Student Council when appropriate as deemed by
the headmaster.
J. However, it is advised that the expulsion of a council member is advised to be
dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
K. If a student council officer leaves the school partway through the school year,
the grade shall elect a new member as soon as possible in class elections as
outlined in Article 5 to replace the absent member. The next representative
may be elected regardless of their tutor group. If the newly elected
representative is a part of a tutor group that already has a representative, they
will need to contact the school administration to be placed in a tutor group
that does not have a representative.

Article VIII

A. Duties of the Members of Student Council:


a. The president’s duties shall be as follows:
i. To guide the Student Council in identifying and achieving its
goals.
ii. To plan an agenda for all meetings.

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iii. To speak on behalf of the High School Student Council to all
relevant bodies of the school.
iv. To meet regularly with the Student Council Advisor.
v. Preside at all meetings of the Student Council.
vi. To represent the school along with the Vice President at the
Kanto Plains Student Council meetings.
vii. To keep the council organized.
viii. To read out weekend announcements every Monday.
b. The Vice President shall have the following duties:
i. Temporarily replace the President in his/her absence.
ii. Represent the school along with the President at all Kanto
Plains Student Council Meetings.
iii. Assist the president in planning the agenda for the weekly
meeting.
c. The Secretary shall have the following duties:
i. Take minutes at every Student Council meeting.
ii. To approve and/or pen any official written correspondence
regarding the Student Council and the YIS Community.
iii. To take pictures and record videos of student council sponsored
events.
iv. To manage the Student Council Bulletin Board and ensure that
it is well organized and decorated in order to positively
represent Student Council
v. To ensure the appropriate guidance of the Vice Officer as to
the duties of the Secretary.
vi. Work in close collaboration with the I.T. Engineer to ensure
that photos and videos are electronically posted.
d. The Treasurer shall have the following duties:
i. To manage all financial dealings of the Student Council.
ii. If any member spends money on behalf of the Student Council,
they must have permission from the treasurer, and present the
receipt from all purchases to the Treasurer to receive
reimbursement.
iii. To ensure the appropriate guidance of the Vice Officer as to
the duties of the treasurer
iv. At the end of every year a financial report shall be created and
filed.
e. The I.T. Engineer shall have the following duties:
i. To manage the Student Council sponsored websites and other
electronic media.
ii. To assist in the technical aspects of any Student Council events
or functions.
iii. To work in close collaboration with the President and Secretary
to manage student council websites and publish information.
f. The Vice Officer shall have the following duties:
i. Observe and assist the Treasurer and Secretary in their duties.
ii. Take minutes in the absence of the Secretary.
iii. Take minutes in meetings of the executive committee meeting
with the headmaster.

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g. The executive committee (the president, vice-president, secretary, and
treasurer,) as well as the I.T. engineer and vice officer shall be
responsible for meeting with the headmaster on a weekly basis.
h. The duties of all members shall be as follows:
i. To create a friendly environment in the school.
ii. To act as spokespersons for their respective classes.
iii. To be present and help organize all student council events.
iv. To attend punctually all council meetings. The member can be
excused from the meeting only if the delegate is absent from
school or permission is obtained from the supervisor and
president. Council members must inform the President or Vice
President of their absence before the meeting or student council
event. This may be done in electronic form or in person.
v. To listen to and present to the council ideas from the student
body.
vi. To attend orientation for new students.
vii. To inform their respective grades of important decisions of the
Student Council.
viii. To confer with the President or Vice-President and the Student
Council Advisor if any action is being taken on behalf of the
student council.
ix. To be a good role model to their fellow students.

Article IX

A. The meeting time for all meetings shall be up to the discretion of the
President.
B. Meetings shall be held at least once every week.
C. If there is any disagreement on a proposal, then the matter shall be put to a
vote. The proposal shall be unless otherwise specified in the Constitution
passed with a majority vote.

Article X

A. In the case of a great disaster occurring during the school year, the student
council, in consultation with the general school community, may choose to
change the recipient of the school wide fundraiser for charity.
B. The change may be made based on a two-thirds majority vote within the
council, after a meeting with faculty and students.
C. If the change is passed, all the fundraiser jars from the old school wide
fundraiser will be collected, totaled, and reserved to be donated at the end of
the academic year.
D. All funds raised for the school wide fundraiser from then on will be donated to
the new charity.

Article XI

If in any vote on a Student Council there is a tie, then the president of the Student
Council shall cast the deciding vote.

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Article XII

The constitution can be amended only if sponsored by a student council member and
receives a two-thirds majority when voted upon. Furthermore at the beginning of
every year the new Student Council shall read the Constitution before engaging in
Student Council activities (not including the New Student Orientation).

Contributors:
Constitution Creation:
June 2008, YIS High School Student Council of 2007-2008

Amendments:
June 2011, YIS High School Student Council of 2010-2011

Attached Documents:
Student Council Complaint Template
Intent of Presidential Candidacy

References

1. The Constitution of the United States of America


2. Norris High School Student Council. Norris High School Student Council
Constitution.

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Student Council Complaint Template

In accordance with Article 7 of the YIS High School Student Council


Constitution, the following template may be used in order to file a formal
complaint against the Student Council.

(Date You Are Filing the Complaint)

Dear Members of the YIS High School Student Council,

I, (Your Name) would like to draw the attention of the


council to the behavior of the Student Council Representative
(Name of Student Council Representative)

I feel that they have conducted themselves in a way that violates


the YIS High School Student Council Constitution. This should
result in the further examination of their position on the council.
I feel that the following conduct is reason for concern:
(Explanation of Conduct Prompting the Complaint)

This is what I propose as the suggested course of action:


(Please Outline How You Feel This Should Be Handled)

As per the details of the constitution, I expect this to be discussed


by the executive committee and then brought to the attention of
the general council.

Thank you.

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Intent of Presidential Candidacy

In accordance with Article 5.2 of the YIS High School Student Council Constitution,
Student Council members interested in declaring their candidacy for president must
complete this form.

Dear Student Council Advisor,

It is with this form that I, would like to declare my


candidacy for President of the YIS High School Student Council.

Please list your previous leadership experiences below:


Organization Position of Leadership Duration & Grade in
Which Participated in
Activity
E.g. YIS High School Girls Soccer Team Team Captain: Spring Athletic Season of 11th Grade
Providing support and leadership to the team

Please add any additional information you may wish to include here:

The signature of the Student Council advisor will affirm that you are running for the
position of President of the YIS High School Student Council.

Best of Luck!

(Signature of Student Council Advisor) (Date)

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