CONSTITUTION
The name of this body shall
be St. Clare
The Purpose of the Advisory
Council shall be to provide policy direction for program needs of the school,
especially in Planning, Finances and Development; to promote the implementation
of said policies; and to insure that all local policies are in accord with the
intent and spirit of the policies established for the Catholic schools of the
Archdiocese of Portland.
a) Members of the School Advisory Council shall be the pastor (ex officio), the school administrator (ex officio), and elected/appointed representatives.
b)
The School
Advisory Council shall have an executive officer, the school administrator,
responsible to the Advisory Council for carrying out its policies and
accountable to the pastor and to the Department of Catholic Schools through the
archdiocesan superintendent of schools.
c)
Said Council is
advisory to the pastor and to the principal and has no governing and/or
regulatory power. The pastor is the
enactor of all school policy.
Section
2.
Tenure of Office
Each elected member shall serve a term of three years, with the exception that the original members may serve terms varying from one to three years, to insure stability of the council.
Section 3. Election,
Vacancies, Removal
a) All members of the SAC shall
seek out and prepare a slate of prospective council member nominees. They will also determine the process by which
nominations, elections, and appointment will take place. Newly elected members of the Advisory Council
shall take office at the June meeting.
Retiring members shall leave office at the June meeting. (Amended
11/10/04)
b) Any member of the Advisory
Council, other than an ex officio member, who is absent from two regular
meetings of the Advisory Council during one academic year (August through and
including June) shall, unless excused by action of the Advisory Council be
asked to revisit their commitment to the Advisory Council with the council chair (Amended
11/10/04)
c) Any member of the Advisory Council, other than an ex
officio member, who is absent from two regular meetings of the Advisory Council
during one academic year (August through and including June) shall, unless
excused by action of the Advisory Council, cease to be a member.
Section 1. Organization
The
officers of the Advisory Council shall include a Chairperson, an Assistant
Chairperson, and a Secretary. The
Chairperson, Assistant Chairperson, and Secretary shall be voting members of
the Advisory Council.
Section 2.
Election of Officers
a) Officers shall be elected at the June meeting of the council. They shall hold office for one year and may be re-elected for one year. Voting is done by secret ballot.
b)
All
elected/appointed members of the Advisory Council are eligible for any office.
Section
3. Duties
of the Officers
a)
The Chairperson shall
preside at all regular and special meetings of the Advisory Council.
b)
The Assistant
Chairperson shall perform all the duties of the Chairperson when s/he is absent
or unable to act.
c)
The Secretary
shall maintain a written record of all acts of the Advisory Council; conduct,
receive, and dispose of all correspondence as directed; and preserve all
reports and documents committed to his/her care.
Section
1. Regular
and Special Meetings
a)
The Advisory
Council shall meet regularly on the second Thursday of the month, at a publicly
designated room.
b)
Special meetings
of the Advisory Council may be called by the Chairperson as needed or by a
majority of the voting members. If time
permits, notice of special meetings shall be given twenty-four (24) hours in
advance stating the nature of the meeting, the time, and the place.
c)
Because of the
advisory nature of the Council, no meeting will be held without the pastor and/
or principal in attendance.
Section
2. Quorum
a) For the purpose of transacting official business, it shall be necessary that a majority of the total voting members be present and voting. “Voting members” of the Advisory Council shall mean the elected/appointed representatives.
b) A simple majority of those present and voting shall carry the motion, decision, and/or election unless otherwise specified in the constitution.
Section 3.
Open Meetings
All meetings of the Advisory Council are to be open meetings unless designated as being closed.
Section 4.
Visitors
a) Meetings of the School Advisory Council shall be open. The Advisory Council reserves the right to declare closed sessions whenever confidential matters may be discussed.
b) The right of non-members to address the Advisory Council shall be limited to those whose petition has been approved by the pastor, school administrator, and Advisory Council Chairperson.
Section
5. Archives
A written record of all acts of the Advisory Council, maintained by the Secretary, shall be preserved in the archives.
Section 6.
Rules of Procedure
The Advisory Council may fix its own rules of procedure, but in the absence of such rules, Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply.
COMMITTEES
Section
1. Standing
Committees
The
Standing Committees for the St. Clare
Section
2. Temporary
Committees
a) The Advisory Council may, be resolution, provide for such other committees as it deems advisable and may discontinue the same at its pleasure.
b) Each committee shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as may be assigned to it by the Advisory Council and shall be appointed and vacancies filled in the manner determined by the Advisory Council. In the absence of other direction, the Chairperson shall appoint all committees.
AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments
This constitution may be amended, supplemented, suspended, or repealed, in whole or in part, by a vote of two-thirds of the total voting membership subject only to regulations of the Archdiocese and the approval of the pastor.
Section
2. Presentation
Amendments must be presented to the Advisory Council in writing at least two weeks prior to one meeting for discussion and voted on at a subsequent meeting.
Section
3. Bylaws
Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the total members of the Advisory Council providing the amendment has been presented at the previous meeting of the Advisory Council and subject to approval by the pastor and the Superintendent of Catholic Schools.