Constitution of the Dickinson Diamonds Dance Team We, the members of the Dickinson High School Diamonds, in order

to create an organization of the school which will expect and maintain the highest standards for each of its members and through which maximum support will be given to all school activities, do hereby ordain and establish this constitution. Article I: Name The name of this organization will be the Dickinson Diamonds. Article 2: Membership Section 1- Qualifications of membership A current member of the Diamonds will not be required to re-tryout each year as long as she is a member in good standing. All fines must be cleared for all school organizations and activities in order to maintain good standing as a Diamond. All Diamonds must have 200 merits in order to be allowed to stay on the team for the following year. All candidates must be entering grades 10-12 in the fall following tryouts. All candidates must have an overall satisfactory conduct grade for the year in which tryouts take place. All candidates must have a good overall disciplinary record for the year in which tryouts take place. No candidate will be allowed to tryout if she has more than 3 assigned days of SAC for the semester in which tryouts take place, any suspensions from school for the year in which tryouts take place, and any DALC assignments. All forms must on file with the Director before the candidate will be allowed to tryout. Section 2- Tryouts Tryouts will take place in the Fall Semester and candidates who are awarded membership will be placed into the Diamonds in training class for the Spring Semester. Diamonds in training will automatically become member of the Diamonds the following Fall. On the day of tryouts all candidates will be required to wear a black hip length top or a black leotard, black bottoms that are longer than the knee, and dance shoes or dance paw style foot coverings. Hair must be in a bun and parted on the left side, and makeup is encouraged. The tryout will be judged by a panel of three judges with Dance/ Drill Team experience and chosen by the Director. The judges decision at tryouts is final. All candidates must attend an after school workshop and must be present for everyday of the workshop in order to be considered for membership to the Diamonds in training.

Section 3- Loss of membership/ removal from office Reasons for loss of membership include but are not limited to: o Ineligibility- a member will be placed on probation if she receives a failing grade at the report card. Should the member remain ineligible for the following report card, she will be removed from Diamonds. o Suspension from school for any reason, assignment to DALC for any reason o Three or more days of SAC assigned to a member will result in removal o Consistent bad behavior and attitude of the member. o Inability to follow rules set forth in the Diamond Constitution or Diamond Contract. o Accumulation of 25 Demerits Procedures for the loss of membership o Dismissal of a member based on any one an incident, must be of serious nature such as stealing, threatening any person, or any act the committee deems immoral or illegal (This includes possession of or consumption of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco) o All documented offenses will be reviewed by the Director and parents will be notified o The student will then be removed from the Diamonds class period, and all uniforms and supplies issued by DISD must be returned within one week of dismissal or the student will be placed on the Fine List until cleared. Reasons for loss of position of Office o 1 day of SAC assigned to an Officer will result in removal from the position as an Officer. o Accumulation of 6 demerits will result in the removal from the position as an Officer. o Any conduct unbecoming of a Diamond Officer as deemed by the Director. Procedures for loss of position of Officer o All documented offenses will be reviewed by the director and parents will be notified and a meting with the principal in charge of Diamonds will be set. o The Officer will be removed from the Diamond Officer period, and placed into a squad as a line member. She will lose all responsibilities and privileges of the position of Officer.

Article 3: Officers Section 1- Eligibility An Officer Candidate, of either slate, must be have been a line member for the school year prior to trying out for Officer, and she must be a member in good standing. A candidate for Dance Officer must have accumulated a minimum of 150 merits for the school year in which she is trying out for officer. A candidate for Social Officer must have accumulated a minimum of 150 merits for the school year in which she is trying out for officer. No member may try out for Officer if she has been on any disciplinary probation or plans to graduate in December of the following year. Section 2- Tryouts Officer Candidates will be judged by a panel of judges selected by the Director. Dance Officer Candidates must attend the after school clinic the week of tryouts in order to learn the process, routines and to encourage each other throughout the week. Failure to attend this clinic will result in forfeiting her position as an officer candidate. The judges scores will be based on the following: o Technique combination o Ensemble choreography o Solo choreography and technique o Notebook/Tasks Graded by Director o One interview with the judges o Candidates teaching ability o Directors points o Team Vote The Social Officers will be judges by a panel of judges on the Following: o Notebook/Tasks o Interview with Judges o Team Vote Tryouts will be closed to everyone except the Judges, candidate, Director, Assistant Director, and Administrator Senior Officers may work the door and play music at tryouts, but will not be inside when candidates are interviewed, NO EXCEPTIONS! The Notebook/Tasks portion of tryouts will be handed out by the Director well ahead of the tryout date and will be turned on the date designated by the Director each year. 3

The Judges decision is the final decision as to which candidates make the Officer slate and the positions designated

Section 3- Dance Officers The Dance Officer slate shall consist of Colonel, Lt. Colonel, 1st Lieutenant, and Lieutenants. The Director and Judges will determine the number of Officers each year. Special situations may occur and will constitute special arrangements, which will be determined by the Director, for example- Co- Colonels, Co-Lt. Colonels, etc) All Dance Officers are required to attend Officer Camp, no exceptions! If an Officer does not attend Officer Camp along with the Officer Line, she will forfeit her position as an Officer for that year.

Section 4- Duties of Dance Officers Colonel- The Colonel shall be the highest ranking Senior at tryouts. The Colonel must be a Senior. It shall be the duty of the Colonel to act as top ranking officer and to have complete control of the members in both performance and practice. The Colonel must set the ultimate example for her team mates and school community at all times. She is never off duty until she graduates. It shall be the duty of the Colonel to conduct all practices and maintain discipline of her team at all times, in practice and performance. She is responsible for retaining all choreography for the team and officer line, and may be placed in charge of ensembles at the directors discretion. She is responsible for technique advancement, pep talks, attitude, and morale of the team. She will be responsible for overseeing all work-off

infractions by all team members. The Director will oversee any infraction of the Colonel. She will responsible for choreographing an
advanced ensemble in Spring Show. She will perform her solo in Spring Show. Lieutenant Colonel - the Lt. Colonel shall be the second highest ranking officer candidate at tryouts, she does not have to be a Senior. She will be responsible for recording and maintaining an updated list of earned DEMERITS for the entire team for the year. It shall be the duty of the Lt. Colonel to carry out that commands and perform the duties of the Colonel in her absence. The Lt. Colonel will assist the Colonel at all times. When the Colonel and Director are absent, the Lt. Colonel is in charge of the team. She will maintain discipline and order at all times in practice and performance. She is responsible for maintaining a well- informed and disciplined squad. She is responsible for teaching technique and routines as assigned by the Director or Colonel. She will choreograph an advanced ensemble for Spring Show. She will perform her solo in Spring Show. She is responsible for discipline of the team at ALL times.

1st Lieutenant - The 1st Lieutenant will be the 3rd highest ranking officer candidate at tryouts. The 1st Lieutenant will be responsible for all hand routines during football season. The 1st Lieutenant will maintain a well informed and disciplined squad each year. She will be responsible for recording and maintaining an updated list of earned MERITS for the entire team for the year. The 1st Lieutenant will choreograph an ensemble each year for Spring Show. Lieutenants- the Lieutenants will be the 4th highest ranking candidates at officers tryouts and the number of lieutenants will be determined by the Director and judges at tryouts each year. The Lieutenants will maintain a well informed and disciplined squad. The Lieutenants will be responsible for all music for each practice and performance, this includes all stereos, CDs, and all other equipment needed for each performance.

Section 5- Social Officers The Social Officer line shall consist of President, Vice- President and Executives. Social Officers will be required to attend a Social Officer Camp each summer. They will be responsible for all social activities and assigned fundraisers for the team, including car washes, garage sales, parties, motivational activities, etc. Section 6- Duties of Social Officers President- the President will be the highest ranking candidate at Tryouts; she must be a Senior. The President is responsible for Homecoming Dance preparation, initiation activities, and the Diamonds Banquet. She will organize Banquet and will delegate accordingly all duties that are assigned for the banquet. She will oversee all Social events and be in charge of organizing Car Washes over the Summer. She will be assigned costumes for inventory and must keep an accurate count of inventory each year. She will be responsible for choosing and acknowledging Spirit girl of the week during Football season. She will be responsible for choosing any team gifts to be presented to the Diamonds throughout the year. She will be responsible for treats for judges at all tryouts throughout the year. She will be responsible for the Morale and Spirit of her team and Social Officer Line throughout the year. She will issue Demerits to her Social Officer Line when they have not completed an assignment. Vice- President- the Vice-president will be the second highest ranking candidate at tryouts each year. She will be responsible for organizing the New Girl Activity and Christmas Party each year. She will be assigned costumes for inventory and must submit an accurate count of inventory of those costumes to the President. The Vice President will be in charge of organizing Slide Show for Spring Show as well as collecting/organizing any and all pictures for the team for the year. (ex. Yearbook, football program, etc) Executive- The Executives will organize the Costume and Social Closet and keep an accurate inventory list to be submitted to the President. They will aid 5

the Director and Booster Club Treasurer in fundraising activities and money collected. They will assist the 1st Lieutenant in record keeping of Merits and Demerits. They will aide the President in the organization of Banquet. The Executives will be responsible for acknowledging and celebrating Birthdays for all members. They will submit the Team Directory to the team before the end of May each year along with the President. They are responsible for opposing team gift during football season. Section 7- Vacancy Should there be a vacancy of any office, the Director will make the decision as to whether or not to assign a new officer into that position or promote a current officer into a higher position. Article 4- Duties and Responsibilities Section 1- Expenses of the organization Membership expenses for the Diamonds may vary from year to year. Each candidate will be given an estimated cost sheet at tryouts each year. Section 2- Practices/ Camps All members must attend the Line Camp designated by the Director each year. Certain exceptions can be made, but only by the Director. Should a member not come to line camp, she will relinquish her position on the team. Practices will begin after Line Camp Monday thru Friday on the date designated by the Director and at the times designated by the Director each year. All members will be given this information before the summer begins and will be contacted by the officer in charge of her respective squad during the summer as well. These practices are mandatory. In the event that a member must miss a practice, she must call her Squad Officer before the practice begins in order to be excused. However, only the Director may excuse an absence. Any unexcused practices missed will result in the removal of dances rehearsed at that practice. Only the Director may excuse an absence. Beginning the first day of school, any member who misses a practice, including 7th period, during the week of school, will not perform Friday night at the football game. Band practice will be on Thursday at 3PM each week. This is a required practice for all girls performing on Friday night. All practice schedules will be handed out at least two weeks in advance. Section 3- Performance Screening Each member will be required to audition for each routine before the Director sets the formations for each dance performed. The Dance Officers are required to perform; therefore, they will not be required to audition before the Director sets formations. However, it is at the Directors discretion as to whether or not an Officer is allowed to perform each week. 6

Any member who misses school the day of the weekly audition will automatically be removed from the routine for that week. She may re-tryout the following Monday. All members who are cut from a routine for any reason other than UIL ineligibility will still be required to attend all practices and performances in full uniform, as they are still an alternate for that performance. It is the discretion of the Director as to whether or not an alternate will perform should they be needed. Alternates must attend all practices, including Thursday Band practices.

Section 4- Transportation A Diamond shall ride the bus to all events as designated by the Director. A Travel release form must be filled out and on file for the member to ride home via any other means other than the bus. The member will not be allowed to ride home with anyone under the age of 21, no exceptions. The parent must fill out the proper travel release form and turn it in to the Director. Section 5- Uniforms/ Costumes A uniform will be issued to each member over the summer practice session. This uniform costs $200 each, and the member and parent will be required to sign a contract to take care of this uniform before the uniform is issued out. Only the member is allowed to wear the uniform, any misuse of the uniform will constitute the member receiving 5 permanent demerits. The uniform is to be worn to all events and performances as designated by the Director. When performing inspection the following items must be on the Diamonds body properly: o Uniform bodice o Gauntlets o Body tights o Boots o Hat o Make-up Once dismissed from an event or performance the Diamond must change out of the uniform and hang it up in a hanging bag before attending any other activity. If seen anywhere in uniform without permission, she will receive 5 permanent demerits for insubordination. Costumes issued out at Contest season and Spring Show will not leave the Dickinson High School Campus, unless excused by the Director. All members will be required to bring a garment bag to school with her name on it for distribution of costumes, and will hang her garment bag in the closet until the end of contest season or Spring Show; she will then be allowed to take home her garment bag.

Article 5- Performances Section 1- Football Games All Varsity Football Games are required for each member, unless she is on probation for UIL ineligibility. Failure to attend a game with prior approval from the Director will result in being suspended from performance the following week. No outside visitors will be allowed to walk thru or talk to the members of Diamonds during the game. Cell phones are not permitted for the duration of the game without Directors permission Only parents who are volunteering for the game will be allowed into the section of the stadium for the duration of the game. All other parents must sit elsewhere or behind the Diamonds in the stadium. Section 3- Spring Show The Spring Show will be held each year as designated by the Director. The Spring Show is mandatory for all members. It is her grade for the six weeks in which Spring Show falls that year. All Diamonds must perform in a minimum of Opener and Finale for her grade. Should she be removed from one of these routines due to lack of participation, she will receive a 75 for the six weeks. Should she be removed from both of these routines, she will receive a 50 for that six weeks grade. All practices are mandatory; the member may miss 2 practices during the preparation for the show, upon the third practice she will forfeit her place in that routine. Article 6- Awards/ Special Teams Section 1- Letter Jacket All members in good standing who have participated fully in Football season, Contest season, and Spring Show for one full year (all three seasons in one full school year) may be eligible for a letter jacket. This includes managers and escorts. A member may receive a letter jacket after one full year of membership if he/she has competed in two competitions with the team, or ensembles and received a 1st division rating and has not been on grade probation for the duration of that year. Should we not compete in a certain year as a team, any Diamond who performs a solo at competition and receives a division 1 rating 8

will receive her letter jacket, as long as all other criteria are met in that year as well. The letter jacket will be awarded the following semester of the members qualifying year.

Section 2- Awards Each year at Banquet, the team will elect the following, and an award will be given to the recipients. o Outstanding Officer o Outstanding Sophomore, Junior, Senior members o Miss Congeniality Diamonds of the week o During football season, the Dance and Social Officers will select a Diamond of the week based on work ethic and attitude o During football season, the Dance and Social Officers will select a Diamond Spirit girl of the week based on her team spirit and attitude during practice that week. Section 3- Radiance Lyrical, Radiance Jazz, and Pom Company These Companies will be auditioned at a time designated by the Director each year. Members who make a Company or become an alternate will be required to attend extra practices to learn the Company routine(s). Members of Companies may miss only ONE called practice. Upon the second missed practice she will be removed from the Company. It is to be understood that this company is to consist of the Elite members of Diamonds, both in terms of dance technique and morale. Section 4- Bling Company This company will audition before the end of the previous school year and will consist of veteran members of the Diamonds. The number of members of Bling will be determined by the Director each year. Members of Bling will be required to attend a workshop to learn dances for performances for the following school year. Bling will perform at all pep Rallies, designated Basketball Games, and Spring Show. They may or may not compete in competition that will be determined by the Director each year. The members of Bling may be required to pay for and attend an outside Dance Clinic during the summer and/ or school year. Article 7- Merits/ Demerits Section 1- Merits

Merits are given for any act of good deed for the Team. They are a reward system as well as a way to establish the commitment of each Diamond Member. Merits may earned, but are not limited to, the following actions: o Fundraising- 1 merits per $5 raised o Grades- 5/A; 3/B;1/C o Outside Dance Classes at Studio- 5 merits per class attended, proof needs to be supplied by Diamond o Clubs and organizations- 5 merits per club/organization o Performing solos in competition= 25 merits o Any reason and number designated by the Director or Officers (Dance or Social) Each member must earn at least 100 merits to remain on the team for the Spring Semester and 200 Merits to remain on the team for the following year. Any member who does not earn 200 merits before May 15th each year, will forfeit her position on the Diamonds Dance Team. Officer candidates refer to Article 3, section 1 for merit qualifications for Officer Tryouts.

Section 2- Demerits Demerits will be assigned to Diamond Members for failure to comply with policies and procedures of the organization. Demerits will be used as a disciplinary agent for our Dance Team. Summer Demerits- Each member is allowed up to (10) demerits during Summer Camp. Once (10) demerits have been earned by the member she will sit out of the first football performance. Each (5) demerits earned after that during summer will equal another football performance. Once school starts the regular Demerit system will begin. Regular Demerits will be recorded beginning the first day of school by the 1st Lieutenant. Demerits may be earned for the following, but are not limited to the following as designated by the Director: Work offs- Each girl is to be responsible for herself, and when the following infractions occur, the member will work off the infraction each week in front of the Colonel, upon the third infraction of the same kind, the member will receive 1 demerit ALONG with the work-off requirement. Every 9 weeks, the cycle will start again. o Work- offs- The Colonel will decide on number and exercise to be performed Not dressing out Wearing wrong practice wear Chewing gum at practice Wearing jewelry at roll call Failure to get hair up for practice at roll call

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o Demerits Public Display of Affection- 1 Unexcused absence from practice- 5 Talking at practice after 1 warning- 1 Profanity- 2 (Director conference) Wearing uniform without permission- 5 Wearing Diamond articles without permission- 5 Talking to non- Diamonds without permission- 5 Missing items on uniform- 5 Food or drink without permission- 5 Unexcused absence from performance- 10 Using cell phones without permission- 5 Insubordination to director- 10 Insubordination to officer from line member- 1 Disrespect from officer to team or line member- 5 (assigned by Director) Leaving without permission- 5 Failure to meet a deadline- 1 Tardy to any Diamond event or practice- 1

o Other Any reason deemed by Director, including amount assigned 5 Demerits equals sitting out of performance of the following week After Football season, Demerits will affect the members grade in Diamonds class. For each demerit acquired, the daily grade for the Diamond will drop 10 per day. They will be permanent! Once a Diamond earns demerits, she will be dismissed from the team. WE WILL NOT WORK OFF DEMERITS! They are permanent once a member earns them.

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Article 8- Interpretation

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The Diamonds Director and the Dickinson High School Administration has the sole ability to interpret this constitution. The rules stated above may be amended at anytime throughout the year as the need for change may arise. This is the sole responsibility of the Diamonds Director, with the best interest of the team in mind.

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