Constitution

Article I. Name and Objective

Section 1.

The name of this organization shall be the FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF STUDENTS OF GERMAN.

Section 2.

The objective of this organization shall be:

1. To have an organization among the German students of this state which will foster and promote interest in German literature, music, art, and science.
2. To assist and stimulate the student of German in his language facility.
3. To provide congenial fellowship and language interchange among the students enrolled in the public high schools of Florida.

Article II. Membership

Section 1.

Membership in this organization shall be open to students in grades four through twelve who are presently enrolled in German courses or have taken at least on level of German.  Students may compete only once per level of German.

Section 2.

Membership in this organization shall be open to Elementary, Middle School and High School students of German. They may attend the annual conference.

Article III. Officers

Section 1.

The officers shall be President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Chaplain, Historian-Photographer, Public Relations, Fundraiser, Newsletter Editor, and Parliamentarian.

Section 2.

All officers must attend one of the Registrar’s schools or have approval of the Registrars.

Section 3.

All officers will serve for a one-year term.

Section 4.

All officers may succeed himself/herself with Registrar approval.

Section 5.

No student who has exceeded the eleventh grade shall be eligible for any office.

Section 6.

All officers shall be required to be in good academic standing, C or above, and in good citizenship standing at the time of their nomination and during the term of their office.

Section 7.

The order of ascension to the presidency shall be Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Parliamentarian, in this order.

Section 8.

When an FASG officer moves to another school, the teacher shall appoint another student from the school to take his place and notify the Executive Director of the change.

Section 9.

An FASG officer who misses three Executive Board meetings will forfeit his office and the Registrars will appoint another student to assume the duties of the office.

Section 10.

There will be approximately one to two FASG meetings per month in order to complete duties of office and successfully plan the convention.

Section 11.

FASG officers must arrive two days pre-convention. Any officer not fulfilling this important set-up and tear down time will reimburse FASG the hotel fee.

Section 12.

A letter from the Registrar will be sent home to each officer’s parent or guardian outlining the responsibility of the office.

Article IV. Duties of the Officer

Section 1.

It shall be the duty of the President to:

1. Preside at all meetings.
2. Preserve order at all meetings.
3. Represent the organization at other meetings when it is financially feasible.
4. Work closely with the executive board of the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German through the FASG Executive Director and other adult sponsors.
5. Appoint all needed committees.

Section 2.

It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to:

1. Preside at all meetings in the event of the absence or the resignation of the President.
2. Serve as the chairman of all committees.
3. Plan the annual FASG conference with the aid of other officers, their sponsors, and the FASG Executive Director.

Section 3.

It shall be the duty of the corresponding secretary to:

1. Conduct the correspondence of the organization.
2. Send the FASG membership information to all high school sponsors and the local chairman from the host school or college, in planning and carrying out of all details connected with the housing, feeding, business meetings, contests, and entertainment of the delegates attending the annual conference.

Section 4.

It shall be the duty of the recording secretary to:

1. Keep a permanent record of the minutes of all meetings.

Section 5.

It shall be the duty of the treasurer to:

1. Receive membership dues and other funds.
2. Disperse funds with the approval of the FASG Executive Director.
3. Deposit all funds with the treasurer of his own school according to official procedure.
4. Keep a permanent record of all financial transactions according to the prescribed policy.
5. Make an annual report before the end of the school year and send copies of this report out-going and in-going presidents and to the FASG Executive Director.

Section 6.

It shall be the dury of the Chaplain to:

1. Open all meetings with suitable devotionals in German.

Section 7.

It shall be the duty of the Historian/Photographer to:

1. Take pictures at the annual conference.
2. Collect mementos, publicity releases, programs, etc. connected with the annual conference and keep all of this material and the pictures in a suitable scrapbook.

Section 8.

It shall be the duty of the Parliamentarian to:

1. See that all meetings are governed by the proper procedure using Robert's Rules of Order as the authority.

Section 9.

It shall be the duty of the Director to:

1. Serve in an advisory capacity whenever needed.

Section 10.

It cahll be the duty of the Webmaster to:

1. To create/maintain the FASG website.

Article V. Executive Board

Section 1.

the Executive Board shall consist of all officers of FASG, their teachers, and the Registrars.

Section 2.

1. The Executive Board shall be responsible for coordinating all activities of FASG.
2. The Executive Board shall be responsible for all FASG funds.
3. The Executive Board shall be responsible for making the FASG consitution available to all schools in Florida where German is taught.
4. The Executive Board shall be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date e-mail list of Florida German teachers and AATG members.
5. The Executive Board shall be responsible for deciding the number of scholarships and the amount of each to be awarded, baded on student participation and funds available.
6. The Executive Board shall be responsible for contacting professors or sahll appoint someone to contact them, to conduct seminars, serve as scholarship judges, or to serve FASG in other ways.
7. The Executive Board shall be responsible for securing group insurance for the annutal meeting, when prescribed by the Executive Board.
8. The Executive Board shall the be custodian of all records of both part and current activities of FASG.
9. The Executive Board shall be responsible for turning over all records in an orderly fashion to the incoming Executive Board.
10. All FASG officers will maintain, update, and refer to at all times the Procedure Manual for their positions.
11. All {Procedure Manuals and work produced by the FASG officers for FASG and with assistance of FASG funds are the property of FASG. These materials must be turned over to FASG when the officer retires, resigns, or is relieved of duty.

Section 3. Funds

1. If there exists an FASG website, for the purpose of promoting and advertising the FASG convention, it will be supported by FASG funds. If paid by the Registrar with personal funds, the Registrar will be reimbursed by FASG.
2. When finances permit, FASG will be responsible for the hotel costs and transportation of the FASG officers, as they must arrive at least two days prior to the convention. FASG will also be responsible, when funds permit, for one meal per day during preconvention and post convention for the FASG officers.
3. Reservations and other travel arrangements must be made in advance. If any FASG officer does not fulfill his/her officer duties, he/she will not be entitled to any financial benefit from FASG.
4. Have student officers pay a deposit to FASG toward their hotel room costs. This deposit may be refunded; officer fulfills his duties of his office and his time commitment to FASG. The amount of deposit will be the hotel room cost times 3 days. the student officers must be present for 4 nights to plan, then run, and then clean up.

Section 4. The Registrar Schools

1. The Registrar Schools shall be responsible for arranging meals and lodging for the annual meeting of FASG.
2. The Registrar Schools shall be responsible for contracting meeting rooms for all convention activities, including contests.
3. The Registrar Schools shall be responsible for arranging entertainment as needed.
4. The Registrar Schools shall be responsible for the registration of participants at the annual meeting.
5. The Registrar Schools shall be responsible for the registrations of projects for the annual meeting.
6. The Registrar Schools shall be responsible for having all commitments on signed contract to be on file with the Executive Director.
7. Registrars will be paid an annual stipend at the end of the convention year after all debts for the year have been paid. This stipend will be budgeted for annually. The annual stipend is in the amount of up to $1500.

Section 5. The Test Chairperson

1. The Test Chairperson shall be responsible for the preparation of all tests for all academic contests.
2. The Test Chairperson shall appoint teachers to conduct, monitor, judge, or to correct tests as needed.
3. The Test Chairperson shall be responsible for the preparation of packets for the judges of the contest.
4. The Test Chairperson shall be responsible for compiling results of all the contests.
5. The Test Chairperson shall be responsible for ensuring that awards and certificates have been secured for all contests.
6. The Test Chairperson shall be responsible for the distribution of awards.

Article VII. Meetings

Section 1.

1. An annual meeting or conference shall be held.
2. The place of the conference shall be determined at the preceding annual meeting.
3. No school or college shall host the conference for consecutive years.

Section 2.

The Executive Committee shall hold a planning meeting in the fall.

Section 3.

The Registrar Schools shall decide the time of the annual conference.

Section 4.

Students attending the annual conference must be members of FASG. Their teachers/sponsors must be members of FATG and AATG.

Section 5.

1. A nominal registration fee will be charged for attendance at the conference to all students, teachers and chaperones.
2. The amount of the fee will be determined by the Executive Committee together with the local chairman from the Registrar Schools, and will vary according to expenses incurred for housing, meals, and incidentals.
3. Two dollars of the registration fee from each participant will be placed in the scholarship fund.

Section 6.

The welfare, participation, and behavior of students at the conference shall be the responsibility of the teacher who accompanies them.

Article VIII. Scholarships

Section 1.

All applicants for an FASG college scholarship must:

1. Be members of FASG.
2. Be seniors in high school and give evidence of planning to continue with the study of German in college.
3. Attend the conference at which the scholarship is awarded.
4. Scholarship applications must be completed.

Section 2.

The number and the amount of the college scholarships awarded annually shall be determined by the Executive committee, and will depend upon funds available.

Section 3.

The selection of the scholarship winner(s) shall be in the hands of the scholarship committ, appointed by the Executive Director and consisting of high school and college teachers of German.

Section 4.

Scholarship money must be claimed by the date of the following convention.

Section 5.

One FASG officer chall receive up to a $500.00 scholarship if duties are fulfilled. This amount will be included in the annual budget.

Article IX. Amendments

Section 1.

This constitution may be amended or a new Constitution may be adopted by a majority of votes received in a secret ballot conducted at the annual meeting of members.

Section 2.

Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the Executive Director as suggested to the Director by FASG sponsors and members.

Section 3.

At least one month prior to the date of the annual meeting, the Executive Director shall be responsible for the preparation of copies of the Consitution as amended.

Section 4.

If amendments are adopted, the Executive Director shall be responsible for the prepartion of copies of the Constitution as amended.

Section 5.

Sixty percent of Officers, Registrars and Executive Director can enact changes to the constitution if not over-ridden in the April convention, and then changes become permanent.