Council Bylaws

Revised October 29, 2024
They may also be viewed here: Bylaws

Articles

ARTICLE II: Purpose

Article II: Purpose

On June 14th, 1977, the Dresden Board of School directors voted unanimously to support the system of governance at Hanover High School known as the Council by instituting the following policy:

POLICY JIBA – It shall be the policy of this Board that the organization named the Council shall be the governance body at Hanover High School, representative of students and staff.

The Council shall have the authority to act on all matters at Hanover High School not controlled by school board policy, state law, administrative regulations established by the Superintendent of Schools, and rules and regulations published in the Student Handbook of Hanover High School.

The Student Handbook shall be reviewed and approved for publication each spring by the Council and the school Administration.

Motions must begin with a statement of intent and that statement will always accompany the motion as it is discussed by various groups until it has been approved by the Principal. Intent statements may only be amended after the motion has been referred to the committee and cannot be amended during the debate of the main motion in a full Council meeting.

Student Handbook Editing Process: Any changes made to the Student Handbook must be approved by the Council and the school Administration.

Approval will be officially recorded on the Motion Approval Form (see below). The content section of the form (the top half) includes the name of the motion, the exact language of the motion approved by the Council, the date of its approval by the Council, and the signatures of the motion’s author, the Council Moderator and the Principal.

Once fully approved, the Associate Principal(s) and the Associate Principal(s)’s Assistant are authorized to edit the Student Handbook to reflect these changes and required to share the edited text for approval by the Associate Principal(s), the Council Executive, and a member of the Council Organizational Engineering Committee, or, in the summer, a member of the Council Leadership. These three aforementioned parties then record their review and approval of the edits to the Student Handbook by signing the edit section of the Motion Approval Form (the bottom half). A copy is given to each signatory. If the motion necessitates an edit to the Bylaws, it is the Council Moderator, not the Associate Principal(s), who is charged with reviewing and approving the edits.

The Handbook is also reviewed and approved by the Dresden School Board each year, usually in the spring.

In the event of a jurisdiction dispute, an ad hoc review board agreed to by the Principal and the moderator of the Council may rule. The review board shall be composed of two staff, two students, a representative of the superintendent’s office, a representative of the Dresden School Board, and one community member. The findings and the advisory opinion of the review board shall be determined by majority vote and submitted to the moderator of the Council and the Principal of the high school. In the event of continued disagreement, a final binding decision shall be rendered by an ad hoc committee of three members from the Dresden Board chosen by the Dresden Board chairperson.

The Principal of the high school shall hold the power to veto any action of the Council. Any jurisdictional issues must be resolved prior to a veto and may not be raised after a veto. Such vetoes must be accompanied by a written explanation. The Council, by a ⅔ majority vote of members present, may overrule the veto of the principal. A public hearing on the issue must precede such action by the Council. *

The Judiciary Committee of the Council is established to review the decisions of the school Administration in discipline cases when students believe they have been treated unfairly. The Judiciary Committee’s decisions on innocence are binding upon the school Administration. If the Judiciary Committee determines that a student is guilty, it may either affirm the administrative punishment or recommend a new punishment that the school Administration must consider before imposing a new punishment. A further appeal by the students may be to the superintendent of schools or the superintendent’s designee pursuant to Regulation JCE entitled “Student Complaints and Grievances.”
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Dresden School Board
Adopted: June 14th, 1977
Revised: 09.02.94, 05.27.97, 03.28.00, 06.22.04
Recorded from JHCB to JIBA (07.21.09)

* The Principal has a two-week limit to respond to or produce a timeline of action in regard to a passed motion. This two-week period begins when the Principal receives the “Council Passed Motion Form.” This form contains the wording of the motion and a space for the signature of the motion-maker, the Moderator, and the Principal, along with a space where the Principal will indicate the outcome and explain their motives. If the Principal decides they need more time to consider the motion, they must give a precise weekly timeline to the Moderator and Assistant Moderator. During weekly meetings with the school Administration, the Moderator and Assistant Moderator will confirm that the timeline is being followed, reporting progress back to Council. If the Moderator and Assistant Moderator decide that the school Administration is not attempting to make progress on the motion, they can choose to consider the motion vetoed.

ARTICLE III: Membership

Article III: Membership

Membership
1. The Council consists of no more than 48 members in the following proportions:
  1. There will be an At-Large delegation that consists of the twelve highest overall vote-getters, selected according to the procedure outlined in Section B: Elections.
  2. Each sophomore, junior, and senior delegation will have five voting members and one alternate.
  3. Staff will have five voting members and one alternate.
  4. Incoming 9th graders from the Richmond school will have four members and one alternate.
  5. Incoming tuition students and incoming new students from grades 10, 11, and 12, as well as the Dresden 9th graders who did not attend the Richmond school in 8th grade, will meet together in September of their first year at Hanover High School. They will hear statements from any of the new students who wish to run for Council and elect one or two representatives to Council, depending on interest.
  6. Community representatives will have four voting members and one alternate. At least two, but no more than four voting members and one alternate community member, at least one of whom must be a parent, will be appointed by the school Administration and approved by a majority vote of the Council each spring.
2. The various positions will have the following roles and responsibilities:
  1. Community Members:
    1. The Community Representatives on Council will serve to connect Council to the larger community and to represent the community perspective in Council's decision making.
    2. Each spring, concurrent with the regular Council election process, the Principal in conjunction with other administrators, the Council Executive Committee, and the Council Executive will appoint up to five, but no fewer than two community representatives. At least one of these must be the parent of a Hanover High School student. If possible, one of the community representatives should be a police officer. These community members will have all the duties and privileges of regular Council membership, will serve on committees, and may hold office as committee chairs and elected offices except for Moderator.
  2. Class Representatives:
    1. In the fall each delegation will select one of its members as a liaison between the Council and Class Committee or Faculty.
    2. The representatives of each class on the Council should hold a class meeting each marking period to gather ideas, issues, and concerns.
    3. All members are recommended to participate in at least one school visit organized by the Public Relations Person and Student Life Committee. This will help to inform Council members about practices at other schools.
3. Alternates:
  1. Alternates will be determined by the outcome of the regular spring elections as follows:
    1. After all voting positions on Council have been filled, the top vote-getter from each class and staff will be that group’s alternate on Council. There is no At-Large alternate.
  2. The alternates are expected to attend all Council functions. They are allowed to speak, but can only vote when a regular member of their group or class is absent. Alternates will be expected to be committee members, and can be committee chairs or officers as well.
Elections
1. Any member of the Hanover High School community of students, staff, and support staff may place their name in nomination by submitting a write-up of specified qualifications to OEC (Organizational Engineering Committee) by the listed deadline.
2. Poster requirements are as follows:
  1. Ten posters maximum
  2. The maximum size of each poster is 22’’ x 28”
  3. Posters must be submitted to the Organizational Engineering Committee of the Council (the details of which will be announced to all nominees) before Election Day and must be approved and stamped clearly as approved by the Organizational Engineering Committee.
  4. Posters must not contain putdowns: “You shouldn’t vote for [X] because ...” is forbidden.
  5. Posters must not contain profanity.
  6. Posters must not contain references to drugs, alcohol, violence, or sex.
  7. All candidates are responsible for taking down their posters no later than 4 pm on Election Day.
3. A school-wide election will be held based on the list of nominees.
  1. Elections are held in the spring, prior to registration, for all members except New and Tuition students, who are elected in the fall.
  2. The voting ballot will consist of nominees’ names, listed by delegation (i.e. 9th grade, 10th grade, faculty).
  3. Any Hanover High School student or staff member currently enrolled or employed by the school may vote. Voters choose up to eleven candidates.
  4. Ballots will be posted electronically with the deadline for polls to close clearly defined. The period for polls to be open should last for at least three school days (between posting and closing of the live ballot).
Tallying Procedures
1. The votes should be counted as follows:
  1. Any ballot with more than the allowable number of votes will be discarded.
  2. The twelve highest vote-getters overall will become At-Large representatives.
  3. From the remaining nominees, the appropriate number of highest vote-getters from each class will be declared class representatives to the Council, as outlined in Section A: Membership.
  4. The remaining nominees will be rank-ordered by delegation and by overall votes received.
  5. After all voting positions on the Council have been filled the top vote-getter from each class and staff will be that group’s alternate on Council.
  6. All the nominees will have access to the tally sheets.
  7. Final discretion for all tallying procedures will be given to the Council Executive.
2. The votes will be counted by the Council Executive and any Council member of the previous Council year that is not running for re-election.
Vacancies
1. Vacancies occurring as a result of scheduling problems, Dartmouth classes or resignations will be handled in the following manner:
  1. In the event that a member of leadership leaves the Council, there will be an election by the Council to elect the new leadership officer.
  2. At-Large members are replaced by the candidate with the next highest number of votes in the original election.
  3. Class representatives are replaced by the candidate from that class with the next highest number of votes, but who did not win a seat in the original election. If no runner-up is available, the representatives of that class will elect a new member from their class.
  4. Staff vacancies are filled by means of a special election run by the Organizational Engineering Committee. Such elections will be preceded by a presentation by the staff member on the Organizational Engineering Committee to the staff at a staff meeting.
  5. Any Council member who takes a Dartmouth class (for one semester or less) will be removed from Council if the Dartmouth class interferes with the scheduled Council meeting. The Council member will have the opportunity to return as a sub-alternate. The current alternate will be promoted to representative and the recorded next highest vote-getter of that delegation will become an alternate.
Removal of a Council Member
Council members are subject to the Hanover High School Code of Conduct, as well as the Council Bylaws. When a Council Member violates the Code of Conduct, procedures for reporting, determination, and consequences are described in the Hanover High School Code of Conduct. “The Council Executive Committee, and the Organizational Engineering Committee, in concert with the Associate Principal(s), may develop and enforce standards and penalties applicable to the Council” (HHS Code of Conduct, adopted by Dresden School Board 3/27/12). The following is a list of behaviors that may also result in the removal of a Council member:
1. Lateness/absence to Council or Council committee meetings as grounds for removal of a Council member from office.
  1. After two unexcused absences or six unexcused tardies from either a Council committee meeting or a Council meeting, the Council member in question will be on probation for two weeks, during which time their voting privileges will be revoked. If they are not the alternate in their delegation, the alternate (if there is one) will be a voting member for those two weeks. If the Council member in question sustains another unexcused absence or three other unexcused tardies, the Council will then hold a vote determining whether or not the member will remain on Council. After each additional unexcused absence or three tardies, another vote will take place. In such a case, the Secretary will bring the issue up to the Executive Committee who will then facilitate the vote at the next Council meeting.
  2. If a Council member is legitimately unable to contact the Secretary or another member of the Executive Committee before they must miss a Council meeting, the absence will be counted as unexcused, unless they contact the Secretary or another Executive Committee member with an acceptable excuse prior to the next Council meeting.
  3. If a Council member is legitimately unable to contact their committee chair(s) before they must miss a Council committee meeting, the absence will be counted as unexcused unless they contact their committee chair(s) with an acceptable excuse prior to their next Council committee meeting.
  4. Council members are responsible for reading the minutes of any meetings that they miss, whether excused or unexcused, as well as the minutes distributed in a meeting they missed.
2. Other grounds for removal of a Council member from office:
  1. Conduct unbecoming a Council member. Conduct unbecoming a Council member is defined as:
    1. Public behavior that is not in keeping with the standards of responsibility and leadership expected of Council members.
    2. Any action that violates the Hanover High School Code of Conduct.
      -Actions that humiliate, degrade, or physically harm others
      -Uncivil behavior directed towards self and/or others
      -Allegations of possible illegal activity, notably but not limited to: theft; vandalism; use, distribution, or possession of any illicit substance; possession of alcohol or driving under the influence of alcohol, if deemed to be accurate upon investigation by the school Administration.
  2. Malfeasance or nonfeasance. Malfeasance or nonfeasance is defined as:
    1. A member’s misconduct in office or failure to do the job assigned to the office.
3. If anyone has reason to believe a Council representative has engaged in conduct unbecoming of a Council member, they may bring allegations to the chair(s) of the Organizational Engineering Committee. The chair(s) of the Organizational Engineering Committee will present that allegation at the next meeting of the Executive Committee, where the Executive Committee will vote as to whether or not the Organizational Engineering Committee should assess the allegation or dismiss it. Any action that may violate the Code of Conduct must be reported to the Associate Principal(s).
4. The Organizational Engineering Committee will bear the responsibility for presenting the evidence for removal by any aforementioned grounds.
  1. The Organizational Engineering Committee will examine the evidence and present its case for removal within one week. Possible courses of action the committee may recommend include the following:
    1. Censure– A letter will be sent to the individual outlining the decision and a notation of censure will be put into the Council minutes.
    2. Removal – The individual will be removed from office within a week. A letter explaining the decision will be sent, and a notation of removal will be put into the Council minutes.
    3. Acquittal – The individual will be notified in writing of the dismissal of the charges against them and a notice of such acquittal will be put into the Council minutes.
  2. A majority vote of Council will be required to implement any recommendation by the Organizational Engineering Committee.
5. The individual may appeal the Council’s decision to the Executive Committee in writing whose decision will be final and delivered in writing no later than one week after receipt of the appeal.
6. Procedures for the Organizational Engineering Committee Hearing:
  1. Upon receipt of a petition having the requisite number of verified signatures, the Organizational Engineering Committee will meet to gather and examine evidence relevant to the charge brought forward in the petition. This meeting will be private, open only to the Organizational Engineering Committee, any witnesses it may choose to call, and the Council Executive.
  2. Following this Organizational Engineering Committee hearing, the Council member named in the petition will be given access to any evidence that is to be presented to the Council.
  3. Evidence presented and discussion held in this meeting is confidential; the Organizational Engineering Committee members are not allowed to discuss the content of the meeting with anyone outside the meeting itself. Any communications to the Council member named in the petition will be conveyed via the Organizational Engineering Committee chair(s) or the Council Executive, upon instruction of the Organizational Engineering Committee chair(s).
7. Executive Session of the Council:
  1. Presentation of the evidence to the Council by the Organizational Engineering Committee will take place in an Executive Session of Council. The motion to move to Executive Sessions is a privileged motion and is adopted by a majority vote. The motion having been passed, the secretary will call roll and count the number of voting members present.
  2. Once in Executive Session, the Organizational Engineering Committee will read the charge as it is presented in the petition, and will then present the evidence and its recommendation for action.
  3. The Council member named in the petition will then be given the opportunity to present evidence and speak in their own defense.
  4. The Council will then be given an opportunity to ask questions of the Organizational Engineering Committee, of any witnesses who may have been called, and of the Council member named in the petition.
  5. When questions have been answered the Moderator may call for a motion regarding action to be taken. Following a discussion on the motion, voting will take place by paper ballot.
  6. Decisions passed by the Council pursuant to Article III: Membership, Section E: Removal of a Council Member, are decisions internal to the Council. They are final and are not subject to appeal.
  7. An Executive Session is open only to Council members, the Council Executive, the Principal, the Associate Principal(s), and the parent/guardian of the Council member named in the petition or their designee. Any other invitees (with the exception of witnesses called to testify) must be determined by a majority vote of the Council to be necessary to the proceeding in order to be present.
  8. A member may be punished under Article III: Membership, Section E: Removal of a Council Member, if they violate the secrecy of an Executive Session. Anyone else permitted to be present is honor-bound not to divulge anything that occurred. The minutes, or record of proceedings, of an Executive Session must be read and acted upon only in Executive Session. Only the motion made and action taken on that motion will be reported in the minutes of the regular meeting.
Removal of a Council Officer
1. An officer includes members of the Council Leadership, as well as committee chairs.
2. Removal of an officer of the Council from their position will be considered on the grounds of non-performance of the duties required of their position.
3. For instances of behavior unbecoming of a Council member or other infractions related to behavior as a general member of Council, refer to Article III: Membership, Section E: Removal of a Council Member.
4. If anyone has reason to believe a Council officer has neglected to perform the duties required of their position, they may bring written allegations to the chair of the Executive Committee. The allegations should outline the specific charges against the Council officer in detail. The Executive Committee will decide, by majority vote, whether to discuss the allegation or dismiss it.
5. The Executive Committee has three courses of action:
  1. Removal from Position — The individual will be notified in writing that they no longer hold their position of Leadership. The Executive Committee will decide, by majority vote, to appoint an appropriate replacement (if necessary) according to the following guidelines:
  2. Referral to the Organizational Engineering Committee — If the Executive Committee has reason to believe the allegations constitute a violation worthy of censure or complete removal from office, they may decide, by majority vote, to refer the case to the Organizational Engineering Committee, who will follow the procedures outlined in Article III: Membership, Section E: Removal of a Council Member.
  3. Acquittal — See Article III: Membership, Section E: Removal of a Council Member, Subsection 4, Clause A, Subclause iii.
6. Within a week of receipt, the committee’s decision will be returned to the Council.
7. The accused Council officer will not be a voting member of the Executive Committee during these deliberations.

ARTICLE IV: Council Executive

Article IV: Council Executive

Duties of the Council ExecutiveMembership
1. To serve as Parliamentarian of the Council.
2. To be responsible for maintaining and preserving a complete record of Council activities for the year.
3. To preserve and maintain records of the Council.
4. To directly assist the Moderator in carrying out the Moderator’s duties.
5. To be a non-voting member of, and work with, the Executive Committee, especially in developing agendas.
6. To serve as a resource person to the Council committees.
7. To serve as a liaison to the school Administration.
8. To be responsible for procedures facilitating Council business and Council decisions.
9. To serve in an advisory capacity to the Council, and to its officers. The Executive cannot make motions and cannot vote.
10. To plan and run the Council’s annual fall retreat, in conjunction with the Moderator and Assistant Moderator.
11. To serve on the Judiciary Committee as a non-voting member and a resource for the chair.
12. Will serve to evaluate the work of the Judiciary Committee at least once each year and report its findings to the Council.
Procedures for the Selection of a Council Executive
1. By May 1st of every second year, the Executive Committee (see Article VII: Committees, Section B: Executive Committee, Subsection 1: Purpose and Operation) will declare the position of Council Executive open.
2. By May 1st, the Executive Committee will place ads in school bulletins and newsletters seeking applicants for the position. The ads will state the nature of the duties, time expected, salary range, and a request for a resume to be submitted.
3. The Executive Committee will then conduct interviews with prospective candidates and will present no more than three recommended candidates to the next year’s Council in their combined session with the old Council in May. These candidates must have attended at least one Council meeting that year.
4. At this meeting, the new and old Council together will elect the Executive for the upcoming two-year term.
5. The salary of the Executive, after being determined by the Principal and the Superintendent’s office, will be made a part of the Council’s recorded minutes by the Treasurer in the Treasurer’s report.
6. The Administrative Committee will collect feedback from the Council for both the midyear evaluation and the second-year evaluation of the Council Executive. The Administrative Committee will share the results with the Executive Committee in a timely manner so that the Executive Committee may complete the written evaluation reports before the deadlines outlined below.
7. The Executive Committee is responsible for the performance of the Council Executive and will present a written evaluation report to the Council and Principal by March 1st of the second year of the term. The report will be accompanied by a written self-reflection by the Executive.
8. A written evaluation and feedback meeting (of the Executive by the Executive Committee) will be held in April of the midterm year.

ARTICLE V: Officers

Article V: Officers

Moderator
1. Presides over all Council meetings.
2. Must be a veteran of at least one year of the Council.
3. Serves on the Administrative Committee.
4. Can make no motion and is not able to vote except to break a tie.
5. Meets regularly each week with the Principal to communicate Council business to the school Administration with the Assistant Moderator.
6. Is responsible for bringing any recommended microgrant proposals when necessary to either the Principal or the Associate Principal(s) to seek approval or denial (See duties of the Microgrant Advisory Committee in Article VII: Committees, Section I: Microgrant Advisory Committee).
  1. The Moderator should compile and send a brief report of the school Administration’s points back to the Microgrant Advisory Committee to later inform the applicant of the school Administration’s vote.
7. Is responsible for representing Council and its views to the public and school community.
8. Is responsible for organizing a school-wide assembly each fall to introduce the Council and its goals to the student body.
9. Is responsible for all matters that are assigned to the committee and for the prompt reporting of committee business.
10. Is responsible for setting the Council’s regularly scheduled meeting time in cooperation with the Associate Principal(s).
11. Is responsible for seeing that the Council meetings have a positive and business-like tone, and that full discussions and airings of points of view are encouraged.
12. Is responsible for writing the “Message from the Council Moderator” for the student handbook at the end of the school year, before the Handbook’s annual revision.
Assistant Moderator
1. Presides over meetings in the absence of the Moderator.
2. Chairs the Executive Committee and is responsible for its effective operation. (See duties of the Executive Committee in Article VII: Committees, Section B: Executive Committee).
3. Is responsible for planning the agenda for each week’s Council meeting and ensures it gets to the secretary before the minutes are posted on the Council bulletin board.
4. Is responsible for attending one meeting of each committee per quarter in order to check in on committee progress and to obtain an overall view of committee function.
5. Represents the Council and its views to the public and the school community in the absence of the Moderator.
6. Oversee Council committee web pages. Ensure each page includes:
  1. Chair(s)
  2. Current Members
  3. Time / Place of meeting
  4. Committee Responsibilities
  5. Committees’ Meeting Notes
  6. Action the committee has taken to date
7. Meets regularly each week with the Principal to communicate Council business to the school Administration with the Moderator.
Treasurer
1. Is responsible for accurate accounting of all Council funds.
2. Is responsible for tracking and payment of Council appropriations.
3. Is a member of the Student Activities Committee and is responsible for organizing and presenting the recommended Student Activities budget to the Council.
4. Is responsible for fundraising activities and their organization.
5. Is the only one with the authority to sign and process Council purchases.
6. Is responsible for ongoing and complete communication with the Financial Secretary of Hanover High School.
7. Chairs the Microgrant Advisory Committee and is responsible for its effective operation. (See duties of the Microgrant Advisory Committee in Article VII: Committees, Section I: Microgrant Advisory Committee).
  1. Is responsible for organizing a meeting time when necessary.
  2. Is responsible for taking attendance during meetings.
8. Is responsible for attending the Microgrant Advisory Committee, when necessary.
9. Is responsible for monitoring the Microgrant Committee Fund, housed under the Co-Curricular Fund, and advising the Microgrant Advisory Committee on limiting the number of recommended proposals, when necessary.
10. Presides over meetings in the absence of the above officers.
Secretary
1. Takes, distributes, and posts minutes of each meeting on the Council bulletin board and on the Council website.
2. Is responsible for posting a complete list of passed and failed motions for the current school year.
3. Is responsible for handling Council’s correspondence and maintaining records of correspondences.
4. Will be a member of the Organizational Engineering Committee.
5. Is responsible for maintaining a complete file of minutes in the school library and in the main office.
6. Is responsible for maintaining a complete attendance record of all Council members.
7. Presides over meetings in the absence of the above officers.
8. To post committee and council attendance on the Council bulletin board three weeks prior to elections.
Dresden School Board Representative
1. Is responsible for attending all Dresden School Board meetings, as a non-voting member of the Board.
2. Is responsible for representing the interests of Council to the Board and the interests of the Board to the Council.
3. Is responsible for notifying the Board of any microgrants once approved by the school Administration.
4. Will be a member of the Curriculum Committee.
5. Is responsible for establishing a working relationship with the chair of the Board and the Superintendent of Schools on Board issues.
6. Is responsible for keeping the student body current on Board issues through the school newspaper.
7. Presides over meetings in the absence of the above officers.
Public Relations Person
1. Is responsible for communicating the actions of Council to the student body and to the community at large.
2. Is responsible for organizing presentations about Council and the democratic process to HHS staff and all 9th grade Social Studies classes each fall, in conjunction with the Moderator.
3. Will be a member of the Student Life Committee.
4. Is responsible for promoting school involvement by posting the Council agenda at least 24 hours before each meeting and for maintaining an effective Council bulletin board, in conjunction with the Secretary.
5. Is responsible for organizing a presentation about the democratic process at HHS to be given to the Dresden School Board at the beginning of each board term, in conjunction with the Dresden School Board Representative.
6. Is responsible for organizing a presentation to parents at the 8th Grade Parent’s Night.
7. Is responsible for distributing a letter to all new staff at the beginning of the school year inviting them to attend a Council meeting.
8. Is responsible for submitting a monthly report summarizing the major issues being dealt with in Council if not already being covered by a Broadside member.
9. Is responsible for submitting updates to the Weekly Announcements.
10. Is responsible for maintaining Council social media, i.e. Twitter and Facebook pages.
11. Is responsible for organizing a school visit designed to inform Council members about practices at other schools at least twice a year.
12. To post the minutes from each week on the Council Bulletin Board and on the other bulletin boards throughout the school.
13. To post a list of Council nominees for the school a week before the election.
14. To email the motions passed that pertain to the entire school at the last meeting and the agenda for the next meeting by noon on Wednesday, so that they can be put in the Weekly Announcements for the same week.
15. Presides over meetings in the absence of the above officers.
Committee on Program and Procedure Representative
1. Is responsible for attending all Committee on Programming and Procedure meetings, as a voting member of the Committee.
2. Is responsible for representing the interests of Council to the committee and the interests of the committee to the Council.
3. Will be a member of the Curriculum Committee.
4. Is responsible for establishing a working relationship with the Principal and the Associate Principal(s) on committee issues.
5. Is responsible for keeping the student body current on Committee on Programming and Procedure issues through the school paper.
6. Is responsible for representing the interests of all of Council during Committee on Programming and Procedure meetings, regardless of their constituency as a voting member of Council.
7. Presides over meetings in the absence of the above officers.

ARTICLE VI: Meetings

Article VI: Meetings

Council meetings consisting of the entire body take precedence over class.
Regular meetings will be held once each week during the school year.
The time and place of the meeting will be set up as part of the regular scheduling process during the preceding year. The time and place will be continually advertised during the year to the school community.
The meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
All Council meetings are open to the public, with the exception of an Executive Session of Council.
A quorum will consist of 50% of the voting members of Council plus one. The Moderator and the Executive are not voting members.
The Executive Committee will compose the agenda for each meeting, allocating time limits for debate to each item when the executive committee deems it necessary. The agenda will be posted in a prominent public place in the school at least 24 hours before each meeting time.
The Moderator will have the power to call a special meeting at any time with reasonable notice.
Motions will be put before the Council at its meeting only by its members.
A non-member wishing to address the Council must be introduced by a member.
The last four Council meetings of the year will be transition meetings that will be organized and scheduled by the Organization Engineering Committee in the following manner:
1. Meeting No. 1 — New Council members attend as observers; Nominations for next year’s Leadership.
2. Meeting No. 2 — New members attend; Current Moderator runs Leadership election; All members of both Councils vote in the election. Meeting
3. No. 3 — New Council committee assignments; Goal setting for the next year’s Council.
4. Meeting No. 4 — New Council; Regular business; Plans for the next year.
The Council may hold an all-school open forum as appropriate.
Absences
1. Any absence from a scheduled Council meeting may result in an unexcused absence. In case of a disagreement regarding the validity of an absence, the Organizational Engineering Committee will serve as the final judge.
2. An absence from a committee meeting will be recorded by the committee chair(s). If the chair(s) deem(s) necessary, the absences may be reported to the Organizational Engineering Committee.
3. Any Council member who arrives more than 15 minutes late for any Council meeting will lose the right to vote for that entire meeting and will be given an unexcused tardy. The member may appeal this to the Organizational Engineering Committee.
All speakers at Council meetings need to realize that they are being public figures and that meetings are public and a matter of record. It is important that all speaking be heard clearly throughout the assembly.
1. Therefore:
  1. Each speaker shall be recognized by the chair.
  2. Each speaker shall, even when using a microphone, project their voices across the room in a slow and clear manner so that all can hear and understand.
  3. If participants are not able to hear, they may respectfully request (in accordance with Robert’s Rules) that the speaker enunciate and speak up without recognition from the chair.

ARTICLE VII: Committees

Article VII: Committees

The business of the Council, as it involves research, fact-finding, and establishing background information, will mainly be carried on in the Council’s committees, especially the standing committees. The importance of effective committee performance cannot be underestimated, and the responsibility rests primarily on the committee chairs.

General Rules of Operation
1. The committee members will be selected by the Moderator during the spring transition period with the exception of the Executive Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
2. The committee members will elect a chair for their committee. At the Council Retreat, a regular meeting time that is convenient to all will be established.
3. The Council Leadership may set up a time for committee meetings during the Council meetings as needed. The committees will be responsible for meeting regularly outside of Council and will report back to the Moderator.
4. Each committee will establish goals for itself to be publicly communicated to the full Council at the first meeting after the fall retreat.
5. The committees will have the power to make decisions. After the full Council has referred a matter to a committee, the recommendation for action by that committee will be reported out as a motion at the next regular Council meeting. It will become a Council decision unless it is overridden by a 2/3 vote of the quorum present or the majority of the Council, whichever is less. When a committee brings any matter to Council, the respective committee must report on …
  1. The results of a committee vote regarding the action of the committee. The committee must have a majority of its members present to conduct a vote.
  2. The reasons for the committee taking such action.
  3. The opinion of the minority or minorities in the committee and why they voted against the majority in the committee. The report will be made by the chair of the committee or another informed representative of the committee.The opinion of the minority will be reported by one or more representatives of the minority, if applicable.
6. All Council members, who are either elected by the Council or appointed by the Moderator to serve on any committee outside of the Council, are responsible for contacting the chair of that committee following the appointment. Each committee member must obtain all meeting times, locations, and agendas from that chair.
7. At each meeting, the committee chair will take down the attendance of each member with one of the following classifications: AE, AUE, TE, TUE, or P. At the end of each quarter, and a month before the Council elections, the committee chair(s) will give these attendance records to the chair(s) of the Organizational Engineering Committee.
8. At the close of the Council year, new chairs of committees must meet with the former chair(s) of their committee in order to discuss:
  1. Accomplishments of the past year,
  2. Goals for the coming year,
  3. Challenges faced and solutions found.
    1. These three points should also be written in a letter and archived in that committee's binder. In addition, that same letter should be posted on the Council website under the section of the committee, so as to be preserved.
Executive Committee (Exec)
1. Purpose and Operation
  1. To assist the Moderator and the Executive in their duties and to promote the effective operation of the Council.
  2. The Executive Committee will be made up of standing committee chairs plus the officers of the Council.
  3. The Assistant Moderator will be the chair of the Executive Committee.
  4. The Executive Committee will meet each week at least two days before the regular Council meeting.
  5. To be the Steering Committee for the Hanover High School Council’s participation in our sponsoring of at least one community service project each year.
2. Specific Duties
  1. To set the agenda for each meeting.
  2. To write an annual report on the activities of the Council.
  3. To plan the annual Council spring picnic.
  4. To evaluate the Judiciary Committee each year and issue a written report to the outgoing Council by its last meeting.
  5. To hire and evaluate the Council Executive.
  6. To run the spring Council election. This should be the responsibility of the senior members of the Executive Committee.
  7. To assist the Executive in planning the fall retreat.
  8. To organize the annual Teacher Appreciation Day.
  9. To oversee and update the Nick Beard Opinion Board
    1. Review submissions to the Nick Beard Opinion Board to establish whether or not they meet the below guidelines:
      1. All opinions must be signed on the front of the submission.
      2. All opinions must be in good taste (no profanity or personal attacks).
      3. Submissions must be of reasonable size to permit a variety of opinions to be displayed.
    2. Post approved submissions to the board for a period of two weeks after which the opinion must be resubmitted to remain on the board.
    3. Return rejected submissions to the community member for resubmission. In the event of a controversy, the opinion will be submitted to the Judiciary Committee for a final ruling to ensure that the opinion is within the guidelines.
Administrative Committee (Admin)
1. Purpose
  1. To serve as a liaison between the school Administration and the Council.
  2. To develop a school characterized by trust, responsibility, and effective communication.
  3. To maintain the overall upkeep of the Hanover High School Handbook.
2. Specific Duties
  1. To put Council and school Administration decisions into effect.
  2. To keep an ongoing list of all non-procedural motions passed by Council in a given year. This list, along with all previous lists will be passed to the next Administrative Committee at the end of each year.
  3. To be responsible for the Skip Bean Democratic Citizen Award.
    1. The award is described as follows: “HHS prides itself on being a democratic school. As stated in the HHS mission statement, all people in the school community are encouraged to use their “hearts, minds, and voices.” Every member of the high school can share in the practice of democracy. The Skip Bean Democratic Citizen award acknowledges those who contribute every day to this democratic process. Please write a short paragraph about why your nominee deserves the Skip Bean Democratic Citizen Award.”
  4. To be responsible for the Staff Member of the Year Award.
    1. The award is described as follows: “We share every day at Hanover High School with our staff members. While they are paid as administrators or teachers, many staff members go above and beyond by staying after class, sponsoring clubs, raising class money, bringing us food, or simply making us smile. As students, we receive thanks for the work we dedicate to class through quarterly reports, honor roll, and class day, yet staff members receive little formal recognition for their work."
  5. To be responsible for reading this statement on September 11th every year over the PA system, which is to be followed by a moment of silence.
    1. “[x] years ago, hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon outside Washington D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania. Today we remember those who died, those who risked their lives to save others, and the families who were affected. Please take this moment to remember the events of September 11, 2001.”
  6. To work with the Associate Principal(s) each year in revising the Student Handbook, as needed.
  7. To review and update the HHS Handbook every year, ensuring that this document reflects changes made by motions, and is consistent with current school practices.
  8. To meet with a member/members of the school administration about every month to gauge their opinions on current Council activities and to bring a motion, discussion, or resolution to Council relating to this discussion, if necessary.
  9. To ensure that the school administration signs the motion approval sheet before a handbook change is made. A record of this sheet shall be included in the Council minutes.
  10. To accept and improve non-procedural motions referred from the Council body.
    1. Admin may refer a motion to another Committee if they see fit.
Curriculum Committee (Curric)
1. Purpose
  1. To deal with areas of the school curriculum—both courses and teaching.
  2. To serve as a liaison between the Committee on Programming and Procedure (CPP) and the Council.
  3. To deal with areas of the “hidden curriculum” in the school such as decision-making, citizenship, personal choices open to students, and the part students play in more non-academic learning experiences.
2. Specific Duties
  1. Become familiar with the Program of Studies and the process of its distribution.
  2. Cooperate with the school Committee on Programming and Procedure in preparation for the Program of Studies.
  3. Conduct a survey to obtain student and staff sentiment about school curriculum on topics relevant to the school community and concerning the school curriculum at the end of the first semester of every other year and then assess the results in the following year.
  4. Ensure that midcourse evaluations are conducted (a survey on student sentiment about each course and how it is taught) at the midpoint of each course, and evaluated.
  5. Issues surrounding academic honesty are addressed by the committee when needed.
  6. The Curriculum Committee will meet with the Associate Principal(s) no later than the first quarter of a new Council in order to get a summary of disciplinary action taken that is related to the Academic Integrity Policy.
  7. The chair(s) of the Curriculum Committee will be responsible for responding to Course Concern forms.
Organizational Engineering Committee (OEC)
1. Purpose
  1. To be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Council itself, including planning elections, reviewing bylaws, maintaining records, and working with other committees.
  2. To maintain contact and communication with outside affiliates such as the National Association of Student Councils if the Council so desires.
2. Specific Duties
  1. To organize and run replacement elections for the Council if it becomes necessary (eg. repeated absences, a sudden inability of a council member to serve, etc.)
  2. To be responsible for accurate records of Council members’ attendance and deal with issues of nonattendance (eg. a discussion with the offending member, temporary or permanent removal from office).
  3. To promote effective committee membership and functioning. To work closely with other committees to ensure any grievances are addressed and to help maintain maximum productivity.
  4. To effect the Council’s joining of state, regional, and national associations if the Council so desires, and to act as a liaison between Council and these associations.
  5. To review bylaws annually and reprint them if necessary for major revisions made.
  6. To promote and publicize the Council platforms/speeches in the elections each spring, which will be announced two weeks in advance; to work closely with the Public Relations Person to facilitate this and ensure maximum turnout.
  7. To facilitate elections of New and Tuition students in September (the list of New and Tuition students can be obtained from the Registrar).
    1. Use some permanent or semi-permanent method of communication to contact all new students and tuition students. New students are students who live in Hanover, Norwich, or Etna, but are new to the school. Tuition students are students who come from surrounding towns, other than those stated above.
    2. Hold an election meeting, also in September, to which all candidates are invited. The students who wish to run should have their names written down, and students who do not wish to run should be encouraged to attend in order to vote. It is recommended that this meeting be held during Advisory.
    3. Each candidate should be allowed to give a short speech stating their name and their qualifications and intents.
    4. Results can usually be calculated during the meeting, and the winners should be informed of the meeting time of Council, as well as the general responsibilities that membership entails by the Organizational Engineering Committee chair(s).
    5. The names of the runners-up in each delegation should be recorded in case the elected member is unable to serve.
  8. To facilitate elections of incoming Richmond Middle School (RMS) 9th graders in the Spring.
    1. Contact RMS informing them of the upcoming elections.
    2. Use some permanent or semi-permanent method of communication to contact all 8th-grade students at RMS.
    3. Hold an election meeting in which any candidate interested in running for Council must attend. The students who wish to run should have their names recorded.
    4. At a later date, each candidate should need to give a short speech stating their name, qualifications, and intents.
      1. Voting commences after speeches are given. Results will be calculated and the winners shall be informed of the meeting time of Council, as well as the general responsibilities that Council membership entails by the Organizational Engineering Committee chair.
    5. The names of the runners-up in each delegation should be recorded in case the elected member is unable to serve.
  9. To keep a record of motions, separate from Council meeting minutes, in hard copy and online-posted on Council website. This record must include the motion, date, maker of the motion, and any amendments, as well as whether or not the amendments passed. The context for the original motion and following amendments are also important to record.
  10. To facilitate a referendum when passed by Council as specified in Article XI: Standing Rules of Council.
Judiciary Committee (J-Comm)
1. Purpose
  1. To review administrative decisions in discipline cases when students believe they have been treated unfairly. In its review process, the Judiciary Committee will:
    1. Determine whether each student is innocent or guilty.
    2. Decide whether the decision of the school Administration is appropriate or inappropriate.
  2. To serve as an advisory body to the school Administration on policy issues of student discipline.
  3. To deal with the present needs of students who seek support in dealing with the school Administration.
  4. To generate data regarding the effectiveness of student participation in matters of discipline.
  5. To make a final ruling as to whether a submission to the Nick Beard Opinion meets the guidelines as set in Article VII: Committees, Section B: Executive Committee, Subsection 2: Specific Duties, Clause i, Subclause A, in cases where the Executive Committee’s decision is disputed.
2. Jurisdiction
  1. The Judiciary Committee’s decisions on innocence are binding upon the school Administration.
  2. When the Judiciary Committee determines that a student is guilty, it may either affirm the school Administration’s decision or punishment or recommend a new punishment to the school Administration. If the Judiciary Committee recommends a new punishment, the school Administration must consider that recommendation and must impose a new punishment, although not necessarily the same punishment recommended. After the school Administration imposes the new punishment, the student has no further appeal to the Judiciary Committee with respect to that punishment. Decisions of the Judiciary Committee, or of the school Administration after a Judiciary Committee recommendation, may be appealed to the superintendent of schools or the superintendent’s designee pursuant to Regulation JCE, entitled “Student Complaints and Grievances.”
3. Composition
  1. Members of the Judiciary Committee will be elected from the general student body.
    1. Students may run for Council, as well as the Judiciary Committee.
    2. Elections will take place in the fall and be organized by the Organizational Engineering Committee.
    3. There will be two students from each grade, as well as two staff members.
    4. Nomination forms are required, but other forms of campaigning are not required.
    5. Individuals will vote for two members from their grade (or staff).
  2. A chair, which cannot be a staff member, is selected by the members of the Judiciary Committee. It will be the responsibility of the chair to ensure the proper functioning of the Judiciary Committee.
  3. The Council Executive will serve on the Judiciary Committee as a non-voting member and a resource for the chair.
4. Rules of Operation:Appeal
  1. The appeal of disciplinary action will be made in writing by the appellant by 3:00 pm of the school day following such disciplinary action. Exceptions to this provision are at the discretion of the chair. It must be given directly to the chair of the Judiciary Committee and should outline the nature of the offense, the school Administration’s response, the reason why the appeal is being made, and what the appellant would like the committee to do.
  2. Upon receipt of the written appeal, the chair will notify the school Administration and request a written statement. If the chair deems it necessary, the school Administration will be responsible for obtaining a statement from the person who reported the offense to the school Administration, and for delivering this statement to the Judiciary Committee.
  3. If a member of the Judiciary Committee feels that a conflict of interest exists, the committee will determine by a majority vote if the appropriate committee member will participate in the hearing. If the chair is thus disqualified, they will appoint a temporary chair for that hearing.
5. Rules of Operation: Hearing
  1. If the committee decides to hear the case, the chair will then call a meeting of the committee within two school days, or within two school day hours if the suspension is involved. The chair will be responsible for notifying the appellant and the school Administration of the time and location of the hearing.
  2. The appellant will appear at the hearing at the appointed time. The appellant may select an advocate who may assist the appellant in presenting the appeal. This advocate must be a student or staff member at Hanover High School. The appellant forfeits their right to appeal if they do not appear at the appointed time without a legitimate excuse, as determined by the chair(s) of the Judiciary Committee.
  3. A parent is urged to be in attendance during testimony.
  4. The Council Executive will be responsible for getting the names of potential witnesses from the appellant and the school Administration, and notifying witnesses that they have been called to testify and of the time and location of the hearing.
  5. The hearing will be held in a closed session with all matters held in confidence.
  6. The Council Executive will swear in the representative of the school Administration, the appellant(s), and witness(es) before their testimony. If it is later ascertained that an appellant or a witness lied before the committee, such perjury will be referred to the school Administration, with recommended strict penalties.
  7. The committee will receive testimony from all parties involved and will then carry out deliberations in a closed session. The chair(s) will have discretion over who is allowed in the hearings, and who is not.
  8. A quorum is required for deliberation and will consist of five members, one of whom will be the Staff Representative.
  9. Postponement can occur only by unanimous vote of the Committee because of conflict or failure to achieve a quorum.
  10. The hearing will be structured as follows:
    1. Chair(s): Declaration of charge and punishment.
    2. Chair(s): Statement of agreed-upon facts of the case.
    3. Administration: Opening statement.
    4. Appellant: Opening statement.
    5. Witnesses: Testimony for the school Administration.
    6. Questioning of witnesses by the appellant.
    7. Testimony of witnesses for the appellant.
    8. Questioning of witnesses by the school Administration.
    9. Judiciary Committee: Questioning of the witnesses, the school Administration, and the appellant.
    10. Administration: Closing statement.
    11. Appellant: Closing statement.
6. Rules of Operations: Deliberations
  1. The Committee’s decision will be rendered in writing to the school Administration and appellant within 24 hours, or in a case involving suspension, immediately following the decision. The decision must be unanimous.
  2. All deliberations of the Committee are confidential and must remain within the Committee.
  3. The Council Executive will serve as record-keeper of the committee’s proceedings. Records of only the testimony will be kept for the remainder of the school year. There will be no records kept of the deliberations other than the question(s) voted on.
  4. Items for discussion:
    1. Policy (handbook, School Board, state rule, national law)
    2. How the violated policy is seen by the:
      -Administration
      -Appellant
      -Student Body
      -Community
    3. Evidence:
      -Is the evidence hearsay?
      -Has the evidence been substantiated beyond a reasonable doubt?
      -What is the intent of the violated policy?
    4. New Policy
      -Will the new rule apply to everyone?
      -Does it make sense?
    5. Due Process
      -Has due process been followed?
      -Was the student assumed innocent until proven guilty?
      -Are rights involved? Or are they privileges, or traditions?
      -How has the process traditionally been applied?
    6. Notes and Impact
      -Can the Judiciary Committee justify its verdict to an outsider?
      -Will the decision strengthen or weaken the credibility of the Judiciary Committee in the eyes of the school community?-Is the general school perception of the rule uniform and accurate?
      -How has the appellant’s behavior in this matter reflected on the school?
      -If the rule needs to be changed, how will that be done and how and when will the school community be notified?
  5. The chair(s) will be responsible for discussing all of the above aspects with the committee before a vote is taken.
  6. The unanimous decision of the Judiciary Committee will be final and binding.
  7. If the Judiciary Committee decides that the student is innocent, or recommends a new punishment to the school Administration, the committee will meet in conditions of confidentiality with the administrator(s) who made the decision to explain the reason(s) for the committee’s decision.
7. General
  1. Individual Judiciary Committee members can exercise the power and function of their office only in session; otherwise, they can speak and act only as individuals.
  2. While every effort will be made to avoid conflicts with classes, students who serve on the Judiciary Committee will be allowed, within reason, to be excused from classes in order to attend committee meetings. These students will be responsible for notifying teachers and making up for any missed work.
  3. In cases of suspension due to administrative action, the appellant will not begin their suspension until the final decision of the Judiciary Committee. In the meantime, the appellant will be scheduled up so as to be accessible to the committee. If the school Administration deems scheduling up unwise, the school Administration and the Judiciary Committee chair(s) will meet to determine an alternative arrangement. If the hearing is delayed overnight, the student is not eligible to participate in any school activities that night.
  4. The Executive Committee of the Council will serve to evaluate the work of the Judiciary Committee at least once each year and report its findings to the Council.
  5. The Judiciary Committee will meet before October 1st to elect a chair and discuss the operations of the committee.
8. Effective Date of Consequence
  1. We advise that once the Judiciary Committee meets and decides to hear a particular case, all consequences should be suspended. Before that point, however, it is at the discretion of the Associate Principal(s) to decide which consequences, if any, go immediately into effect.
Student Activities Committee (SAC)
1. Purpose
  1. To be responsible for an effective program of student activities at Hanover High School that encompasses a wide variety of students and to work directly with the school Administration toward that end.
  2. To evaluate yearly the scope and variety of the Student Activities program and report in writing to both the Council and the school Administration.
2. Specific Duties
  1. To assist the Treasurer in gathering and presenting the various student activities budget requests.
  2. All members of the school community will be notified via Advisory, email, and the Council minutes of the availability of, and the deadline for, applying for Student Activities funds. Requests for Student Activities funds should be made, in writing, to the Student Activities Committee by March 15th of the preceding year. The written requests will be made on forms designed by the Student Activities Committee by October 1st. The written requests will be made on forms designated by the Student Activities Committee and will include the following information:
    1. Amount Requested
    2. Current Balance
    3. Forecasted Expenses
    4. Fundraising Activities
    5. Number of Students Participating
    6. Yearly Goals
  3. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, the following criteria should be considered by the Student Activities Committee in disbursing funds to clubs: cuts in previous year’s funding, commitment to achieving stated goals for the year, length of the club’s existence, and the maintenance of diversity of offering at Hanover High School.
  4. Members of the Student Activities Committee should meet with the heads of all student organizations each semester to gain a complete picture of the activities’ needs.
  5. The Financial Secretary and the Activities advisor(s) shall be notified of the funds allocated for each activity by April 15, or as soon as the Dresden Budget is passed, whichever is sooner.
  6. The Committee can fund late requests and other activities that are starting, as well as special financial needs. Application for such funds will be made, in writing, through the Student Activities Committee.
  7. Student Activities may consider a school-wide activity each year. Previous activities have included Speak Series, Class Unity Day, State Spirit Day, and Earth Day.
  8. The Student Activities Committee will suggest changes to and approve the Treasurer’s draft budget. The Council must pass the final budget as soon as possible after the deadline for fund requests. The Financial Secretary and the Activities advisor(s) shall be notified of the funds allocated for each activity within one week. In the Treasurer’s presentation of the budget to the Council, it is suggested that the following is presented: the process by which clubs request funding, criteria for evaluation, and justification for possibly contentious suggested allocations.
Student Life Committee (SL)
1. Purpose
  1. To support the social and emotional connections of students at Hanover High School in order to promote an intentionally inviting and kind school.
  2. To promote student engagement and core values at Hanover High School.
  3. To serve in an advisory capacity to the school Administration in matters of student life in the High School.
2. Specific Duties
  1. To solicit ideas from students in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee in a yearly survey that will evaluate student life at Hanover High School.
  2. To present the results of the above survey to both the Council and school Administration.
  3. To facilitate recycling efforts (when needed).
  4. To support the Public Relations Person in organizing school visits designed to inform Council members about practices at other schools.
  5. To solicit input from the students by getting feedback on what Council is working on, and then reporting what the students said during the next Council meeting. This will occur on a decided weekday. The board that displays the students' opinions will be separated in half: one side is what Council is talking about, and the other side is what people want to see Council talk about / do. Censoring indecencies that aren’t compliant with the handbook is at the discretion of the committee.
  6. To work with clubs when necessary to brainstorm and help organize various events to promote the improvement of mental health resources.
  7. To meet with the cafeteria quarterly to discuss how the cafeteria can better serve students.
Microgrant Committee (MAC)
1. Purpose
  1. To provide applicants with a streamlined way to seek funding for community-focused projects.
  2. To serve as an advisory committee to recommend microgrants for approval.
2. Composition
  1. Members of the Microgrant Advisory Committee will be elected from the general student body.
    1. Students may run for Council and the Judiciary Committee, as well as the Microgrant Advisory Committee.
    2. Elections will take place in the fall and will be organized by either the Organizational Engineering Committee or the Executive Committee in coordination with the Treasurer.
      1. The Treasurer should help determine which committee is responsible for organizing elections given each committee’s availability.
    3. There will be two students from each grade, as well as the current Council Treasurer.
    4. Individuals will vote for two members from their grade.
  2. The Council Treasurer will functionally act as the chair of the Microgrant Advisory Committee. It will be the responsibility of the chair to ensure the proper functioning of the Microgrant Advisory Committee.
  3. The Council Executive or a staff member familiar with the operation of grant committees will serve on the Microgrant Advisory Committee as a non-voting member and a resource for the chair.
3. Specific Duties
  1. To review the microgrant application form at the beginning of the year and make any necessary updates deemed so by the committee.
  2. To review the microgrant approval criteria at the beginning of the year and make any necessary updates deemed so by the committee.
    1. The committee should refer back to specific criteria within this criteria document when notifying an applicant if their application is denied.
    2. The committee should update the criteria that will be used to either recommend or deny a microgrant application based on previous microgrant applications.
    3. It is strongly encouraged that the committee considers including examples of denied microgrant applications with a walkthrough on reasons why the application was denied and possible ways to improve the application.
  3. To publish both the microgrant application form and the microgrant approval criteria document to an easily accessible location
    1. It is strongly recommended that the committee present both documents mentioned above to Council for their input and final approval before publishing the documents to the public.
    2. Possible locations for both the application form and the criteria document to be published include the Council website and the Hanover High School website.
  4. To spread the word about microgrants at the beginning of each new quarter on various platforms.
    1. Platforms may include but are not limited to Schoology, Gmail, Instagram, and Meta.
    2. The committee may choose to coordinate its efforts with the Public Relations Person (PR).
  5. To meet, when necessary, to evaluate and vet a microgrant proposal:
    1. Meetings must occur within 15 school days of a microgrant application submission.
      1. In the event that the committee is unable to fully review an applicant’s proposal, the committee should be fully transparent to the applicant about the status of their microgrant and focus solely on either recommending or denying the application.
      2. If more information is required for an informed decision, the committee should either invite the applicant to the meeting or reach out online to seek clarification.
        
        Inviting an applicant to a committee meeting is an internal committee practice (at the committee’s discretion) and may not be an approved course of action for that year.
    2. The Treasurer will communicate with the committee to find a common meeting time.
    3. More than half of all members must be present for the proposal’s result to be valid.
      1. For all meetings, the Treasurer must be present.
        
        In the case that the Treasurer knows ahead of time that they cannot attend or organize a meeting within the allotted fifteen day window, they should ask a member of the Executive Committee or Council, preferably one who has attended a meeting and knows what the job entails, to take over for the remainder of that application review.
      2. An individual may be removed from the committee if they consistently fail to attend meetings.
      3. After one unexcused absence, or three unexcused tardies from the committee meeting, the committee member in question will be on probation for the current microgrant application review and the next microgrant application review, during which time their voting privileges will be revoked. If they are not the alternate in their delegation, then alternate (if there is one) will be a voting member for those two microgrant application reviews. If the committee member in question sustains another unexcused absence or two other unexcused tardies, the committee will then hold a vote determining whether or not the member will remain on the committee. After each additional unexcused absence or two tardies, another vote will take place. In such a case, the Treasurer will bring the issue up to the committee who will then facilitate the vote at the next committee meeting.
        
        If a committee member is legitimately unable to contact the Treasurer before they must miss a committee meeting, the absence will be counted as unexcused unless they contact the Treasurer with an acceptable excuse before their next committee meeting.
    4. If there is a conflict of interest among one of the elected members, it is strongly encouraged that the elected member remove themselves from the decision-making process.
    5. If a member feels that a conflict of interest exists between a participant and a committee member, the committee will determine by a simple majority vote if the committee member will participate in the hearing. If deemed so, the member will be removed for the remainder of the application review.
      1. To avoid any possible conflict of interest, the chair may decide to censor an applicant's name for the remainder of the application review.
        
        This decision is at the chair’s discretion and may not be a practice for that year. Please consult the chair if this is in practice for that year.
  6. To either recommend or deny a proposal:
    1. If Recommended
      1. Applications will be brought to the Moderator and Assistant Moderator’s weekly meeting with the Principal for their final approval (See duties of the Moderator in Article V: Officers, Section A: Moderator).
        
        In the case of the Principal’s absence, the Moderator and the Assistant Moderator should seek approval from the Associate Principal(s).
        
        In the case of both the Principal’s absence and the Associate Principal’s absence, the Moderator and the Assistant Moderator should seek approval from the Accounting Administrative Assistant.
      2. Depending on the applicant’s timeline, the committee may alternatively choose to bring the microgrant application directly to an administrative member.
    2. If Denied
      1. The committee must provide the applicant with reasons why their application was denied.
      2. The committee will return the denied application to the applicant for resubmission.
      3. If an applicant feels that their application was wrongfully denied (after submitting at least one new application based on the committee’s recommendations), the applicant may bring their application directly to the school Administration for review and approval.
  7. To ensure an applicant is accurately documenting their project through various forms of media.
    1. Forms of media may include but are not limited to photos, videos, written reflections, and drawings.
    2. Documentation of an applicant's project will be used to ensure funds spent were accurately used, and to share the applicant’s project with the rest of the school.
    3. Explanation on how the applicant plans to document their project should be a question in the application form.
  8. To effectively showcase an applicant's project
    1. To announce finalized microgrants during the next Council meeting as part of the committee report.
      1. To showcase the applicant’s project through a presentation.
      2. All presentations should be no longer than 3 minutes.
      3. Presentations must be given by either the applicant or the committee on the applicant’s behalf if the applicant does not feel comfortable.
        
        Prior to bringing the applicant’s presentation to Council, the committee should be in communication with the applicant to plan for the presentation.
        
        Planning includes, but is not limited to, how much information (name, grade, etc.) the applicant is comfortable with the committee sharing and who is presenting at Council.
        
        Regardless of who presents, the applicant(s) should be in attendance at the time of the presentation.
        
        Failure to attend or fully assemble the presentation may result in a loss of recognition as their project would not be fully completed.
        
        If the applicant did not consent to their name being attached to their project, they are not required to come and the committee will present on their behalf with the applicant’s name not included.
        
        In such a case, the applicant will be completely opted out of all public recognition, meaning that they would not get any public recognition.
        
        The applicant will still be responsible for creating the presentation and aiding in the committee’s preparation to present their project.
    2. To include a summary of recently completed community projects for the Friday weekly email.
      1. Depending on popularity, projects may be grouped together to showcase at the end of each semester or presented as projects conclude.
    3. To compile all of the applicant’s projects and create a presentation to recognize all applicants who successfully participated at the annual Awards Ceremony.
      1. The committee should coordinate with those who are responsible for running and organizing the Awards Ceremony at the committee’s earliest.
  9. To catalog any tools purchased by the school for applicants to reuse for later projects in the form of an updated spreadsheet or list.
  10. To preserve approved microgrant application forms for improving the application process and committee records.
  11. To assemble an updated list of applicants’ previous community projects to inspire future student-led projects.
  12. To limit the recommendations of proposals based on the program’s popularity, given the funds left in the Microgrant Committee Budget:
    1. The committee should closely follow the advice of the Treasurer and the Accounting Administrative Assistant.
4. Protecting Applicant Privacy
  1. No member in attendance is permitted to discuss or disclose any information regarding details or the status of a microgrant while in discussion with parties who were not present at the time of the meeting.
  2. If committee members not in attendance wish to know any details regarding the review of a microgrant application, they must only contact the chair of the committee directly.
  3. Failure to protect an applicant’s privacy will result in an Executive Session within the committee to determine the future membership of the accused member.
    1. Aspects of this clause have been adapted from Article III: Membership, Section E: Removal of a Council Member. For reference, please refer to this clause, but note that all aspects of this clause are not in practice for the Microgrant Advisory Committee.
    2. Decisions passed by the Microgrant Advisory Committee are decisions internal to the committee. They are final and are not subject to appeal.
    3. A member may be punished if they violate the secrecy of an Executive Session. Anyone else permitted to be present is honor-bound not to divulge anything that occurred.
    4. A majority vote from present committee members not including the accused member, the chair(s), and the advisor (either the Council Executive or Staff member depending on the year) will determine the membership status of the accused member.
      1. In the event that there is a tie, the chair of the committee is permitted to vote.
  4. All members present during the review of a microgrant application must respect and protect the privacy of an applicant.
    1. Failure to respect an applicant’s wishes may result in the removal of the accused members (See Section 4: Protecting Applicant Privacy, Subsection C, above).
    2. If an applicant’s privacy is not indicated in their application, the committee should obtain a written statement from the applicant stating to what level they are comfortable with their information (name, pronouns, grade, etc.) being shared while showcasing the applicant’s project before fully reviewing their application.
Examining Equity Committee (EEC)
1. Purpose
  1. To develop a school characterized by equity and inclusivity
2. Composition
  1. Four members of the committee will be elected from the general student body
    1. These students should not be on Council
    2. This election will be run by OEC and will occur no later than the second week of October
  2. Two members of the committee will be elected from the Council body
    1. This election will occur in a Council meeting no later than the second week of October
    2. Nominations for these position should occur one meeting before the election
  3. Two members of the committee will be staff members.
    1. The staff members will volunteer to fill these spots
    2. Staff members should work as committee facilitators to ensure that the committee's work is productive.
  4. One member of the committee will be a school administrator
    1. The school administrator will volunteer to fill this spot.
    2. The school administrator should serve as a liason between the committee and the staff
  5. A chair should be selected by the members of the committee. It is the chair's responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of the Examining Equity Committee
  6. All members of the school community may attend committee meetings
3. Specific Duties
  1. To create and facilitate the school-wide Martin Luther King Jr. Day Assembly; this event should occur sometime in January
  2. The committee may choose to plan other events to promote inclusivity of any kind throughout the school year
  3. The committee may choose to work in conjunction with the district equity committee or any other equity-focused organizations.
  4. Committee meetings should be held as often as is felt is needed, but should occur at least twice a month
  5. At least 6 members of the committee must be in attendance in order to meet quorum
Ad Hoc Committees
From time to time as issues and events require, the Moderator or the full Council may name an Ad Hoc committee to investigate and deliberate on a specific issue. When constituted, the Moderator must select chair(s) before the next agenda item is considered. It is then the chair(s)’ responsibility to report back to the next meeting of the CounciL. Other School Committees
1. Function
  1. These committees are permanent committees of the Council. They perform specific duties, but are not standing committees and do not hold a seat on the Executive Committee of Council.
  2. These committees are open to Council, as well as non-Council members.
2. Nick Beard Opinion Board Committee
  1. Purpose: To give teachers, students, parents, and the community a place to share their opinions with the school community.
  2. Location/Description: The opinion board will be placed centrally in the school.
  3. Guidelines: The guidelines for the board will be as follows:
    1. All opinions must be signed on the front of the submission.
    2. All opinions must be in good taste (no profanity or personal attacks).
    3. Submissions must be of reasonable size to permit a variety of opinions to be displayed.
    4. These guidelines will be posted next to the opinion board.
  4. Procedure
    1. The key to the opinion board will be located in the main office.
    2. Any Council member may receive opinions in display form from a member of the HHS community who wishes to voice an opinion, or opinions may be placed in the Opinion Board Box on the counter in the Main Office.
    3. Anyone submitting an opinion may also request that the Council place the issue discussed on a future Council agenda.
    4. The Guidelines committee will review the opinions, which will be a subcommittee of the Council. The Guidelines committee will be composed of two students and one faculty member of the Council. Interested members may submit their names to the Moderator, who will select the committee members. The committee’s responsibility will be to check that the submissions meet the two guidelines and to bring to the Council opinions which the writer of the opinion has asked to have placed on the Council’s agenda and which the Opinion Board Committee feels need the Council’s attention.
    5. Rejected submissions will be returned to the community member for resubmission. In the event of a controversy, the opinion will be submitted to the Judiciary Committee for final ruling to ensure that the opinion is within the guidelines.
    6. The opinions will be posted every Friday for a period of two weeks, and at the end of that time, if the person wishes to keep their opinion posted that person must resubmit it.
  5. Online Opinion Board: An Online Opinion Board, established by the HHS technology coordinator, exists in parallel with the hall board as a virtual representation. Opinions submitted to the online board must follow the hall board guidelines outlined above.
3. Athletic Advisory Committee
  1. This committee deals with any athletic problems, as well as maintaining fairness among all the sports offered at HHS.
4. Historical Records Committee
  1. The Historical Records Committee is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and dissemination of the Council’s history to the Hanover High School community and to the larger community. To accomplish this mission, the Hanover High School Council Historical Records Committee will:
    1. Identify and collect data pertaining to the history of the Council. This data is to include, but is not limited to: tapes and transcripts of verbal interviews, historical documents, newspaper, periodicals, manuscripts, letters, photographs, electronic communications, audio and visual records, and other relevant documents.
    2. Archive, preserve, and protect historical pieces relevant to the history of the Council.
    3. Promote and stimulate interest throughout the school community and the community at large in the collections gathered to advance an understanding of the purpose and function of the Council at Hanover High School.
    4. Present displays, public lectures, classes, and seminars and publish historically significant materials to educate the school community and the public about the heritage and purpose of the Council.
5. March Intensive Committee
  1. This committee works incredibly hard each year to ensure a great March Intensive experience for the students and staff in the school. They prepare the whole event, assign the students to courses, and write up evaluations.

Article VIII: Class Committees

Membership
1. Sign-ups for the Class Committee will be held during the activity fair at the beginning of the school year, supervised by the Council and the Public Relations Person. Any student can sign up, but they must maintain steady involvement in meetings and fundraisers in order to be considered a member.
Purpose
1. To raise funds for activities it deems appropriate. Possible activities include:
  1. Graduation
  2. Senior Prom
  3. Yearbook
  4. A gift that is donated to the school
  5. Class trips and activities
2. The Class Committee has the ability to call a class meeting, with reasonable notice.
Structure
1. There is no formal structure that is required within the Class Committee (i.e. Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.) as long as the Committee is functional.
2. One person must be in contact with a Council member.
Class Advisor
1. Purpose
  1. To work closely with the Class Committee to set up yearly class activities and fundraisers.
2. The newly formed freshman class committee will discuss possible choices for class advisors and communicate with one or two teachers at the beginning of the year.
Participation
1. Class Committee members need to actively participate in order to achieve class goals. Failure to participate and/or attend meetings diminishes this.
2. Advisors should review transcripts of activities to verify active participation in Class Committee meetings and activities. At the end of the year, the advisor will send a list of active members to Guidance.

ARTICLE IX: Parliamentary Authority

ARTICLE X: Amendments

Article X: Amendments

A two-thirds vote of the membership present will be required to change any of the bylaws.
Notification of proposed amendments to the bylaws will be undertaken as follows:
1. At a regular Council meeting, a member will express intent to amend the bylaws by outlining the substance of the proposed change in writing. Discussion will be allowed.
2. At a subsequent or next regular Council meeting, a written draft of the proposed changes, including reference to the existing article and sections, will be distributed to Council members. Discussion will be carried on, and a vote will then be taken.
It is the responsibility of each Council Member to include these changes in their own copy of the bylaws. It is the responsibility of the Council Executive to include all such revisions in subsequent reprinting of the bylaws.

ARTICLE XI: Standing Rules of the Council

Article XI: Standing Rules of the Council

Closing Debate: The closing or postponing of debate must be made by a dedicated motion and cannot be made as a concluding remark by a speaker addressing the motion under discussion.
Roll Call Voting: A roll call vote may be requested on any vote. A vote will be taken on whether to have a roll call vote. The vote will require one-third to pass. This is not debatable.
Main Motion Voting: All main motions will be conducted with a hand count vote and the record of the vote will be posted on the Council bulletin board. Roll call is required for handbook revisions and money allocations of $500 and above.
Referendum: All motions may be referred to a public vote to be voted on by all students and staff of Hanover High School. The motion to refer to the public must be made by a dedicated motion and cannot be made as a concluding remark by a speaker addressing the motion during discussion, and it requires a second. The vote to defer to the public requires two-thirds from Council to pass. The Organizational Engineering Committee will have two days to create an anonymous form consisting of voting options established by the motion’s author prior to being brought to Council (i.e. “Yea,” “Nay,” or “one,” “two,” “three”). The form will be sent via email to all students and staff. Attached to the form will be information on the motion, including its authorship speech and summary of the relevant minutes written by the Organizational Engineering Committee. The referendum vote will be available for one week after the form is sent. The Organizational Engineering Committee will tally the votes, and the motion will either pass or fail at the next Council meeting. A majority of the combined student and staff vote is needed for a motion to pass Council. If a majority of the school has not voted when the week is over, then the motion returns to Council.
Principal Response Time: The Principal has a two-week limit to respond to or produce a timeline of action in regard to a passed motion. This two-week period begins when the Principal receives the “Council Passed Motion Form.” This form contains the wording of the motion and a space for the signature of the motion maker, the Moderator, and the Principal, along with a space where the Principal will indicate the outcome and explain their motives. If the Principal decides they need more time to consider the motion, they must give a precise weekly timeline to the Moderator and Assistant Moderator. During weekly meetings with Administration, the Moderator and Assistant Moderator will confirm that the timeline is being followed, reporting progress back to Council. If the Moderator and Assistant Moderator decide that Administration is not attempting to make progress on the motion, they can choose to consider the motion vetoed.

Logo Image

Logo Title

Council Bylaws

Articles

ARTICLE I: Name

Article I: Name

ARTICLE II: Purpose

Article II: Purpose

ARTICLE III: Membership

Article III: Membership

ARTICLE IV: Council Executive

Article IV: Council Executive

ARTICLE V: Officers

Article V: Officers

ARTICLE VI: Meetings

Article VI: Meetings

ARTICLE VII: Committees

Article VII: Committees

Article VIII: Class Committees

Article VIII: Class Committees

ARTICLE IX: Parliamentary Authority

Article IX: Parliamentary Authority

ARTICLE X: Amendments

Article X: Amendments

ARTICLE XI: Standing Rules of the Council

Article XI: Standing Rules of the Council