Preamble
We, the students of the Charles County Association of Student Councils, in order toimprove inter-school relations and cooperation, to increase the effectiveness of theindividual student councils, to initiate and promote improvements and activities for thegeneral good of the students of the schools, and to voice a collective opinion to studentson county affairs, do ordain and establish this constitution for the Charles CountyAssociation of Student Councils.

Article I
Name of Organization

Section 1 The name of this organization shall be the Charles County Associationof Student Councils.

Section 2 The official abbreviation of the Charles County Association of StudentCouncils shall be CCASC.

Article II
Purpose

Section 1 The mission of CCASC is to strive to bring together the schools of the County by providing quality leadership, service, education and friendshipwithin the schools and community.

Section 2 Beliefs – CCASC members believe:

• Students should be involved because they have the power to succeed.
• Student Government should represent the best interests of all studentsand be beneficial to all schools.
• CCASC should work to improve the Charles County Public Schoolssystem in general.
• CCASC should work with the Board of Education as well as the community.
• With communication, anything can be accomplished.
• All students can and will succeed.
• CCASC members are role models for younger students.
• All students should have the power to express an informed opinion.
• Education should be first and foremost.
• School and county pride is essential.

Article III
Membership

Section 1 Eligibility – All Charles County public middle and high schools areeligible for membership.

Section 2 Non-Voting Members – Members of other organizations may beadmitted to CCASC as non-voting members with the approval of theCCASC Executive Board.

Section 3 Voting Delegates/General Assembly – Each public high school isentitled to 15 voting delegates. Each public middle school is entitled to10 voting delegates. Each school may determine how their delegates areselected. The voting delegates shall comprise the General Assembly.

Section 4 Eligibility for MASC Convention – Members schools of CCASC musthave attended at least one MASC business conference in the school year tobe eligible to send delegates to the MASC Convention at the close of thesame school year.

Article IV
Officers and Duties

Section 1 Elected Officers – The five elected officers of CCASC shall be President,First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary and Middle SchoolRepresentative. Only the Middle School Representative shall be a studentcurrently enrolled in one of the county’s middle schools.

Section 2 Duties – The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

• The President shall preside over all meetings of the General Assemblyand of the Executive Board; represent CCASC at all MarylandAssociation of Student Councils (MASC) Executive Board meetings;appoint staff and committee chairpersons; perform all other duties andfunctions that shall evolve upon the office of President.
• The First Vice President shall serve as acting President in the absenceof the President; assist the President; serve as the President’s advisorto assist the President in any way; succeed to the Presidency in theevent the office shall become vacant;
• The Second Vice President shall serve as the liaison with all middleschools encouraging involvement by middle school studentgovernments with CCASC; maintain regular and consistentcommunication between CCASC and middle school studentgovernments and their advisors; attend state related middle schoolactivities; provide additional support to middle schools as directed bythe CCASC President; work with the Middle School Representative toprovide leadership training to middle school students.
• The Secretary shall maintain the roll of all General Assemblymeetings; collect and maintain records of school and special reports;record, maintain and publish complete and accurate records of allCCASC business.
• The Middle School Representative shall work with the Second VicePresident to provide leadership training for middle school students;attend state wide middle school meetings; attend al MASC ExecutiveBoard meetings; attend CCASC Executive Board meetings; assist thePresident in conducting middle school meetings.

Section 3 Executive Board – The CCASC Executive Board shall consist of all Elected CCASC officers, the Charles County Student Member of theBoard, a Student Liaison from each high school, MASC Executive Boardmembers and any staff appointed by the CCASC President.

Article V
Qualifications and Terms of Office

Section 1 Terms of Office – Terms of office of the elected officers shall run fromthe close of the last meeting of the General Assembly of the school yearin which the election occurs through the close of the final meeting of theschool year of their term.

Section 2 Qualifications: 

All candidates for President, First Vice President, SecondVice President and Secretary must meet the following qualifications:

• shall be enrolled in a Charles County public high school during theschool year of their term• must meet county eligibility requirements for extra curricular activities
• must be a member of their school based SGA
• must have attended at least 4 meetings of the General Assembly

All candidates for Middle School Representative must meet the following qualifications:

• must be enrolled in a county middle school during the term of office
• must meet county eligibility requirements for extra curricular activities
• must be a member of their school based student council
• must have attended at least one CCASC meeting

Section 3 Removal from Office – CCASC may remove any officer fornon-performance of the duties set forth in this constitution. Removalfrom office shall require a two-thirds vote of the executive board. Inaddition, violations of school policies and eligibility requirements mayresult in removal from office.

Article VI
Election of Officers

Section 1 Nominations – All nominations must be submitted to CCASCat least one week prior to the April meeting. If no nomineesare submitted for a position the executive board shall fill the position.

Section 2 Elections – Elections will take place during the last regularly scheduledGeneral Assembly meeting to be held by the end of April.

Article VII
Meetings

Section 1 General Assembly – The General Assembly will meet during the monthsof October, December, January and April.

Section 2 Location and Time – General Assembly meetings shall be held at a timeand place designated by the Executive Board prior to the start of theschool year.

Section 3 Executive Board – The Executive Board shall meet prior to each GeneralAssembly meeting at a time and place designated by the CCASC Advisor.The President may call additional meetings when necessary.

Article VIII
Student Member of the Board and Student Liaisons

Section 1 Student Member of the Board – The Student Member of the Board shallbe selected in accordance with procedures endorsed by the Board ofEducation. Changes to the procedure must be approved by theSuperintendent or his designee and the Board of Education.

Section 2: Student Member of the Board Selection Process(Dates may change based on the school year)

Step One – School Selection of Student Liaison

1. Each high school must choose their Student Liaison by May 20th if the school wishesto have a candidate for the position of Student Member of the Board. Ideally, that candidate will automatically become your school liaison if they go for the SMOB positionand are unsuccessful. If your school will not have a candidate for the SMOB position,you are asked to select your liaison in time for the June 11th Board of Educationmeeting when the new liaisons will be introduced. It would be appreciated if allliaisons are named by Friday June 7th.
2. Any current sophomore or junior who meets county eligibility requirements iseligible for the position of Student Liaison and Student Member of the Board.
3. Schools may choose their Student Liaison through an election process or by aselection process. You have the say on whether your student is capable to go forthe County SMOB, via your school’s selection process.

Step Two – County Selection of Student Member of the Board

1. The Student Member of the Board will be selected from among the Student Liaisonsfrom each school that wish to pursue the position. The Selection Committee willconsist of the following: (14 members total)
   1. CCASC President
   2. Current Student Member of the Board
   3. Current Student Liaison from each school
   4. SGA Advisor from each school
2. Members of the Selection Committee will meet at 3:15 on May 21st for the selection process. The process will include the evaluation of student essays and studentinterviews. The process will take approximately 15 minutes for each candidate.Alternate day for the selection process is May 23rd.
3. If the current Student Liaison is a candidate for Student Member of the Board or cannot participate in the selection process, the SGA Advisor will select a member ofStudent Government to serve in his or her place. If the SGA Advisor can notparticipate in the selection process it is his or her responsibility to select a qualifiedfaculty member to serve in his or her place.
   1. If the total number of members of the selection committee on selectionday is less than 10 out a possible 14 members, then the selection ofStudent Member to the Board of Education will be moved to the alternate day.
   2. If the total number of members of the selection committee on thealternate selection day is less than 10 out a possible 14 members, then theselection of Student Member to the Board of Education will take place with the selection committee members present.
4. Each Student Liaison who wishes to pursue the position of Student Member of theBoard will be required to complete and submit an essay of 500 words or less on thefollowing topic
   • Identify and discuss an issue of student concern. Propose a possiblesolution to the problem.
   • Essays are due to MR. WINSETT BY May 20th. Essays may be emailed to Mr.Winsett at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
5. Each Student Liaison who wishes to pursue the position of Student Member of the Board will participate in an interview to be held at Thomas Stone High School on May 21st. Alternate day for the selection process is May 23rd. Interviews will beconducted and evaluated by the Selection Committee. Interviews will begin at 3:30.Advisors will be informed of the interview time by May 20th.
6. The Student Member of the Board will be the candidate with the highestcombined score from the essay and the interview. The candidate with the secondhighest score will be the alternate. The CCASC Advisor will take the results tothe CCASC supervisor at the Board of Education to verify the results.
   • Once the Student Member of the Board has been named on May 24th, theschool that the Student Member of the Board attends will appoint aStudent Liaison to serve on the Liaison Committee. That name should beforwarded to Mr. Winsett by Friday June 7th.

Section 3 Student Liaisons – Each public high school shall have a Student Liaison.Student Liaisons must be a junior or senior during their term. Each schoolmay determine the method for selecting their Student Liaison.

Section 4 Duties – The duties of the Student Board member are as outlined byBoard of Education and State policies.The duties of the Student Liaisons are as follows:

• Attend all regular Board of Education meetings
• Attend all CCASC Executive Board meetings
• Attend all CCASC General Assembly meetings
• Advise the Student Member of the Board•
• Participate in the selection process for the Student Member of theBoard for the following year.

Section 5 Removal from Office – The Board of Education may dismiss a StudentMember of the Board for invalid absences from two Board meetings.Student Liaisons may be removed from their positions by the SchoolPrincipal or SGA Advisor for non-performance of duties.

Revised and Approved – October 4, 2012

I. YOUTH REPRESENTATION

We Support:

1. Efforts to gain full voting rights for the Student Board Member.
2. Development of a superintendent’s student advisory council at the county level and aprincipal’s student advisory council at each school.
3. Policies in which students are not penalized when absent from school for schoolapproved activities.
4. Appointment and fair compensation of student council/ student government advisors ateach high school and middle school.
5. Providing students opportunities to speak out about issues that directly affect them.

II. PEER LEADERSHIP

We Support:

1. Maximizing the use of peer leadership in all student organizations.
2. Establishing peer counseling and peer mediation programs in all schools.
3. Establishing peer-tutoring programs in all schools.
4. Youth led school and community service initiatives.

III. EDUCATION

We Support:

1. High standards of learning across the curriculum for all students.
2. Providing educational opportunities specialized to meet each student’s needs andabilities.
3. Diverse school curricula that allow for specified areas of study.
4. Computer and technology education offered to students in all grade levels.
5. Visual and performing art education offered to students in all grade levels.
6. Early intervention programs to enable all children to start school ready to learn.
7. Infusing service learning into course curricula.
8. Maximizing the variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities offered at allschools.
9. School based programs that encourage civic participation.
10. Offering honors and advanced placement courses to all students.
11. Notation of honors and advanced placement courses on report cards, high schooltranscripts, and school course syllabi.
12. Implementation of a weighted grading system.
13. The establishment of an eligibility requirement for participation in student activities.
14. Option of early graduation for students meeting graduation requirements.
15. Initiatives that encourage individuals to become teachers in Maryland.
16. Improved teacher training and other measures that improve quality of instruction forstudents.
17. Teachers providing instruction only in subjects for which they are qualified.
18. State and federal funds provided for programs mandated by the state and federalgovernments.
19. Reduction of class sizes.T. Student and faculty dress codes that improve the learning environment.
20. Programs that promote parental and community involvement in students and schools.
21. Initiatives to encourage students to stay in school.

We oppose:

1. Public funding for private education.
2. Providing vouchers for use in private schools except in the case of special education.
3. Mandating public school uniforms.

IV. STUDENT SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE

We support:

1. Proactive measures to prevent school violence, bullying, and vandalism.
2. Early intervention and prevention programs to help students with behavioral problems.
3. Efforts to reduce classroom behavioral disruptions in school.
4. The establishment of standards of behavior for all students.
5. Publicized progressive discipline programs within all schools.
6. Parental involvement in a student’s disciplinary procedures.
7. Alternative education programs for students facing expulsion or other severe disciplinaryactions.
8. Promotion of Safe Teen Driving endeavors in the community.

We oppose:

1. Punishing students in school for out of school behavior.

V. HEALTH AND SOCIAL ISSUES

We support:

1. Availability of wellness centers and school health service professionals in all schools.
2. Efforts to eliminate student use and abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
3. Providing education on the biological and social effects of controlled and illegalsubstances.
4. Providing all students access to drug counseling.
5. Initiatives to prevent drinking and driving.
6. Maximizing the number of substance free activities offered for students.
7. Efforts to increase student awareness and prevention of teen pregnancy and sexuallytransmitted diseases.
8. Efforts to prevent teen suicide.
9. Full time guidance counselors at all schools.
10. Promoting interaction between a wide range of students of different cultural backgroundsin order to improve tolerance and student relationships.

VI. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

We support:

1. Practices and instruction which support environmental protection at all schools.
2. Promoting a comprehensive recycling program in all schools.
3. Offering student activities that focus on the environment.
4. Limiting the use of and exposure to harmful chemicals on school property.
5. State and community initiatives that encourage a cleaner environment.

Step One – School Selection of Student Liaison

1. Each high school must choose their Student Liaison by May 20th if the school wishesto have a candidate for the position of Student Member of the Board. Ideally, thatcandidate will automatically become your school liaison if they go for the SMOB positionand are unsuccessful. If your school will not have a candidate for the SMOB position,you are asked to select your liaison in time for the June 11th Board of Educationmeeting when the new liaisons will be introduced. It would be appreciated if allliaisons are named by Friday June 7th.
2. Any current sophomore or junior who meets county eligibility requirements iseligible for the position of Student Liaison and Student Member of the Board.
3. Schools may choose their Student Liaison through an election process or by aselection process. You have the say on whether your student is capable to go forthe County SMOB, via your school’s selection process.

Step Two – County Selection of Student Member of the Board

1. The Student Member of the Board will be selected from among the Student Liaisonsfrom each school that wish to pursue the position. The Selection Committee willconsist of the following: (14 members total)
   1. CCASC President
   2. Current Student Member of the Board
   3. Current Student Liaison from each school.
   4. SGA Advisor from each school
2. Members of the Selection Committee will meet at 3:15 p.m. on May 21st for the selectionprocess. The process will include the evaluation of student essays and studentinterviews. The process will take approximately 15 minutes for each candidate.Alternate day for the selection process is May 23rd.
3. If the current Student Liaison is a candidate for Student Member of the Board or cannot participate in the selection process, the SGA Advisor will select a member ofStudent Government to serve in his or her place. If the SGA Advisor can notparticipate in the selection process it is his or her responsibility to select a qualifiedfaculty member to serve in his or her place.
   1. If the total number of members of the selection committee on selectionday is less than 10 out a possible 14 members, then the selection ofStudent Member to the Board of Education will be moved to the alternateday.
   2. If the total number of members of the selection committee on thealternate selection day is less than 10 out a possible 14 members, then theselection of Student Member to the Board of Education will take placewith the selection committee members present.
4. Each Student Liaison who wishes to pursue the position of Student Member of theBoard will be required to complete and submit an essay of 500 words or less on thefollowing topic
   • Identify and discuss an issue of student concern. Propose a possiblesolution to the problem.
   • Essays are due to MR. WINSETT BY May 20th. Essays may be emailed to Mr.Winsett at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
5. Each Student Liaison who wishes to pursue the position of Student Member of theBoard will participate in an interview to be held at Thomas Stone High School on May 21st. Alternate day for the selection process is May 23rd. Interviews will beconducted and evaluated by the Selection Committee. Interviews will begin at 3:30.Advisors will be informed of the interview time by May 20th.
6. The Student Member of the Board will be the candidate with the highest combined score from the essay and the interview. The candidate with the secondhighest score will be the alternate. The CCASC Advisor will take the results tothe CCASC supervisor at the Board of Education to verify the results.
7. Once the Student Member of the Board has been named on May 24th, the school thatthe Student Member of the Board attends will appoint a Student Liaison to serve onthe Liaison Committee. That name should be forwarded to Mr. Winsett by Friday, June 7th.