Skyline High School Amnesty International Club Constitution

The official constitution of the Skyline High School Amnesty International Club.

Last Updated: Monday, October 11th, 2024

About        1

Membership        1

Club Structure        3

Club Leadership        3

Advisors        7

Meetings and Schedule        8

Finances        8

Constitution        9

About

Name

The name of the organization is “Amnesty International Club”.

Purpose

To serve as an actively contributing student chapter of the international human rights group of Amnesty International. This entails hosting events and fundraising to support Amnesty’s global initiatives, spreading awareness around prevalent human rights in our community, and speaking to politicians about reforms to address human rights violations if necessary.

Membership

Eligibility Criteria

All Skyline High School students are eligible to become a member of Amnesty International Club, provided they are members of the Skyline High School ASB and meet criteria for club membership outlined by the Skyline High School ASB Executive Board. New members and/or guests are welcome to join at any time throughout the year.

Responsibilities

All members are expected to follow a certain set of responsibilities in order to continue to be a member of Amnesty International Club. These responsibilities include:

  • Observing basic school rules in attendance of the meeting.
  • Being respectful to fellow members, board members, and club advisors.
  • Monitoring their email and group messaging platforms.
  • Participating in group activities.

Conduct

  • Eating and drinking are allowed as long as the room remains clean.
  • Members should be respectful of one another’s opinions and be inclusive of others. The tolerance and inclusion of all people are a priority. Should a member disrupt the flow of the meeting, or cause another member(s) to feel unsafe or uncomfortable, they will be asked to leave for that meeting.
  • Cell phone use is permitted if it is related to the current task or topic, as long as it does not become a distraction.
  • Inappropriate language and gestures are not tolerated. Should a member exhibit such behavior, they will be asked to leave for that meeting.

Removal

Amnesty International Club reserves the right to remove students from the club if they exhibit:

  • Unsafe or disrespectful behavior towards themselves or their peers.
  • A failure to meet basic expectations or responsibilities.
  • Repeated failure to follow instructions or guidelines.
  • Failure to uphold the values of Skyline High School or the Amnesty International Organization.

Club Structure

The club consists of the executive board and general members. The club will host weekly planning meetings with the executive board to plan small events / lobbying sessions. These will take place every other week, and the whole club will attend.

Club Leadership

Executive Board Conduct Agreement (TRIAC)

Members of the SHS Amnesty International Club Executive Board agree to adhere to the following expectations:

  • Tolerance & Growth: Board members must promote an inclusive and tolerant environment. They must serve as role models for general club members, and must always be learning and growing as people and activists. Board members should help foster a safe space for all club members.
  • Respect: Board members must speak to each other with kindness and respect. Board members must foster a positive and inclusive environment in which every member’s ideas and thoughts are both heard and respected. The board will use positive language when communicating and treat general members, board members, and themselves with care and respect.
  • Integrity & Honesty: Board members must maintain integrity throughout all club operations. Board members must speak and act honestly at all times. Board members’ behavior and actions shall always reflect a truthful version of themselves and promote transparency.
  • Accountability: Board members must hold themselves accountable to fulfill the duties that come with being a participating club member, board member, and youth activist. Board members should consistently participate in club activities, as well as fulfill the duties specific to their position. Attendance is strongly encouraged for board members, but absences are acceptable as long as board members can continue to effectively perform their duties on their own time (however, this should not become a habit).
  • Communication: Board members must communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings in a respectful and appropriate manner. Board members must also communicate absences in a timely manner.

Board members will be held to the highest standard of TRIAC. They must also reflect the values and principles of both Skyline High School and the Amnesty International organization. Failure to meet these expectations can result in impeachment or board member removal.

Officer Duties

Amnesty International Club has several officer positions responsible for managing the club. These include:

  • President(s) (1-2 individuals)
  • Secretary (1 individual)
  • Treasurer (1 individual)
  • Social Media Director (1-2 individuals)

The *President(s) has/have the following responsibilities:

  • Schedule and conduct meetings.
  • Manage the Amnesty International Google Calendar & the Club Google Drive.
  • Communicate with the board to coordinate meetings and ensure progress is kept or on track.
  • Coordinate logistics for events and meetings.
  • Lead member recruitment matters.
  • Present any issues to the ASB Board.
  • Communicate with club advisors.
  • Communicate with any outside organizations and other SHS clubs.
  • Handle all communication with club members (via Instagram, Slack, email, and any other messaging/communication platforms).
  • Act as an inter-club council representative.
  • Manage all administrative and official club matters.
  • Lead meetings (prepare agendas and PowerPoint presentations, lead group discussions).
  • Lead and organize certain campaigns (create timelines, structure plans, etc.).
  • In the case of a necessary Fall election (if board positions are open), approve preliminary applications for open board positions.
  • If necessary, appoint people to the temporary leadership & subcommittee positions.
  • Approve social media content and uphold public image.

*If there are 2 Presidents, they may divide up the responsibilities in whichever manner they believe is best. Workload should be shared equally.

The Secretary has the following responsibilities:

  • Keep meeting minutes for every meeting to be placed into Amnesty International Club’s school OneNote folder.
  • Keep a record of attendance for each member and each meeting.
  • Help in general facilitation of the meeting if necessary.
  • Take notes during meetings and put them into a debrief document. These documents are for member reference and will be placed in the Club Google Drive.
  • Track member attendance over time and note trends in participation. Bring these trends to the attention of the President(s) if necessary.
  • Update club roster and when new members are added or if member info/details change.
  • When necessary, update the club information document. This document will reside in the Club Google Drive.
  • Keep track of time during meetings.

The Treasurer has the following responsibilities:

  • Work with Skyline’s bookkeeper to maintain Amnesty International Club’s account.
  • General financial oversight.
  • Keep a record of expenditures.
  • Handling money for all monetary affairs (optional club member dues, donations, miscellaneous fees, etc.).
  • Running the monetary side of fundraisers.
  • Understanding and following any ASB or administrative regulations.
  • Keeping ASB and club advisor informed about all money-related business.
  • Use Google Spreadsheets to keep records.
  • Alert the President(s) about any important or significant financial matters.

The Social Media Director has the following responsibilities:

  • Post content on the club's social media platforms on a consistent basis. These platforms may include: Instagram, Linktree, and the AIUSA Youth Slack.
  • Use social media to promote current campaigns and educate our audience on relevant/important issues.
  • Update our Instagram story before weekly meetings and occasionally create post-meeting summary posts.
  • Create and post weekly polls or human rights trivia on the Instagram story using Instagram's story features. Periodically use Q&As to ask followers for feedback.
  • Communicate with other accounts via Instagram DM’s.
  • Promote other creators’ relevant content on the Instagram story.
  • Track follower trends and changes in the audience to increase engagement with the Instagram account.
  • Safely manage the privacy/security of the account and any persons featured on it.
  • Consult Club Presidents for content approval.
  • Ensure that all content fits the standards (wording, yellow-black-white color scheme, easily understandable, appropriate message, concise, etc.).
  • Ensure that all SHS Amnesty Club social media platforms reflect the values of Skyline High School and the Amnesty International organization.

Note: The President(s) will generally be the one(s) asking the Social Media Director to create posts when necessary, and will detail when and how such content should be created and posted.

Temporary subcommittees and leadership positions will generally be voted on by the entire club (all general members) in an informal manner, but if necessary, the President(s) may appoint people to these positions during a campaign. Members in these positions will lead certain aspects of the given campaign. Duties are dependent on which subcommittee or position the member is on and what specific tasks/duties the respective campaign entails--these will vary.

Duties for each position can vary depending on changes in relevance. Board members can also take on other duties and propose new ideas to improve the operations of their position and current campaigns.

Elections

Students in the Amnesty International Club shall elect candidates for the leadership board once a year by a majority vote of the general club. Prior to elections, members interested in running must sign up to be a candidate for the position they would like to run for. Members must have attended a minimum of 50% of club meetings to run for a board position.

During elections, candidates will give a short speech addressed to their fellow members. Votes will be anonymous. Candidates may not vote regarding the position they are running for but may vote on any other position. The winner will be determined by the majority popular vote. All general club members are eligible to vote, given that they are not running for the given position, are on the official club roster, and have attended at least 3 meetings prior to elections.

In the case of a tie during elections, there will be a second election held at the next meeting, in which all candidates who tied for the position will deliver a new presentation and there will be a new vote (same voting style). The new presentation may involve a question prompt or a new focus topic.

Each club officer will hold their position for the entirety of the school year until elections are held and officers are either elected or re-elected. Members may only run for one board position per election.

Officer Training

Each elected candidate will be trained by the previous officer until the end of the school year when the elected candidate will take full control over the position and the previous officer will step down.

Impeachment and Removal

The majority of the members of the board must be in agreement (determined through a vote) to impeach a club officer. Once impeached, the remaining members of the board will appoint the replacement officer.

Advisors

The club advisor must be a current staff member at Skyline High School. The advisor is responsible for advising the leadership board, ascertaining the compliance of the club with ASB and school regulations, communicating with fellow staff, and supervising club meetings.

Meetings and Schedule

Club Meetings

The club will have meetings every other week on Fridays directly after school from 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm in Room 2115. Meetings will last 1 hour. Club meetings will generally consist of a lobbying session or event related to an Amnesty International USA campaign. The weekly planning meetings will consist of brainstorming and planning events or campaigns. Board members should attend weekly planning meetings consistently (with exceptions for schedule conflicts or external circumstances as long as there is communication) or handle their responsibilities outside of meetings to make up for it. They should also attend events and biweekly general club meetings. If necessary, a board member who will miss a meeting can ask another member of the board to cover for them in advance. Attendance is strongly encouraged for all other members at biweekly meetings, and those interested in higher involvement are encouraged to attend weekly planning meetings as well. If any member is to miss a meeting, they are expected to notify the President(s) at least 1 day in advance (emergencies are exceptions to this guideline).

Supervision

Each meeting will be supervised by an advisor who is a member of the Skyline High School faculty. Advisors are present at meetings at all times and will follow all other guidelines specified by the school administration.

Meeting Updates

Amnesty International Club is mandated by Washington State and Skyline High School ASB to keep a log for all meetings. The Secretary is responsible for keeping meeting minutes at each meeting and sending it to the club advisor to place in the club’s school folder.

Finances

Purchases

Purchase order forms will be submitted to the bookkeeper, using the club account to fund expenditures. The Club Treasurer will have this responsibility.

Accounts

Amnesty International reserves account #4250 for member dues and grants from community organizations.

Records/Bookkeeping Procedure

Expenditures will be recorded into a spreadsheet by the Treasurer, which will be emailed to the ASB Bookkeeper monthly.

Constitution

Amendments

Any member of the club is permitted to propose amendments or updates to Amnesty International Club’s constitution. Amendments will be enacted if the majority of the members of the board come to a consensus on its importance. Two-thirds of the general members of the club must also vote in favor.