Virginia Senior Classical League Constitution (as of January 2023)
Articles
Article I: General Provisions
Section 1: Name The name of this organization is the Virginia Senior Classical League, hereafter in this document referred to as VSCL.
Section 2: Emblem The emblem of the VSCL shall be a torch emblazoned with the letters "SCL," all encircled by a laurel wreath.
Section 3: Objective The objectives of this organization are to enhance and promote the appreciation of the Classics and of classical scholarship in post-secondary education, to represent the National Senior Classical League in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to advise, encourage, and assist the Virginia Junior Classical League (VJCL).
Section 4: Obligations At least one member of the VSCL Executive Board should attend the National Junior Classical League Convention (NJCL) in the summer. The VSCL shall pay part of the fee for the NJCL Convention packet for any member of the VSCL, so long as a request is submitted by the set deadline, as determined by the VSCL board after State Finals Certamen.
The VSCL shall assume the duties of running Kick-off Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and administering academic contests at the Virginia Junior Classical League Convention. The VSCL shall also assume the responsibilities of coordinating "That's Entertainment" at VJCL Convention unless the VJCL Executive Board dictates otherwise.
Article II: Members
Section 1: Types of Membership There shall be two types of membership in the VSCL, which shall be called primary and secondary. Membership shall be held in one-year, renewable terms, and shall be renewed by paying dues as set in the bylaws of the VSCL.
Section 2: Primary Membership In order to be a primary member of the VSCL, a candidate must pay their dues, as prescribed by the bylaws of the VSCL, and meet at least one of the following qualifications:
One must have been a member of the VJCL;
One must have been a member of another state JCL and currently attend a Virginia institution; or
One must be a college student.
A member may hold primary membership for a maximum of four years.
Section 3: Secondary Membership After a member's primary membership has expired, one will hold secondary, non-voting membership as long as one continues to pay dues.
Article III: Governance
Section 1: Officers The membership shall annually elect a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Editor.
The Executive Board shall annually appoint one or more Member(s)-at-Large selected from the membership.
Section 2: Qualifications Only primary members are eligible for a voting VSCL office. In order to be eligible for the offices of Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Editor, a candidate must have studied the Classics in secondary school or postsecondary school. In order to be eligible for the office of President a candidate must have taken four or more years of Latin or Greek in secondary school, or have taken or be taking Latin or Greek above the introductory level in postsecondary school.
No member shall run for office in their last year in postsecondary education. No member shall concurrently hold more than one VSCL office.
The Executive Board shall elect an Advisor or Advisors from the American Classical League. Due preference shall be given to Advisors who teach at a school which holds membership in the VJCL, yet the Executive Board may, where requisite, appoint Advisors who do not meet this qualification. The Executive Board shall, as necessary, elect one or more Member(s)-at-Large from the Virginia Senior Classical League. The Member(s)-at-Large can hold primary or secondary membership and must submit an application to the Executive Board.
Section 3: Elections The membership of the VSCL shall hold elections annually at the Virginia Junior Classical League Convention.
Section 4: Executive Board The general executive authority of the VSCL shall reside in the Executive Board, which consists of the five officers, and the Member(s)-at-Large and the Advisor(s), who shall be nonvoting member(s) of the Board. The Board shall supervise the affairs of the VSCL between its meetings and shall transact business on its behalf, subject to the authority of the membership.
Article IV: Amendments and Ratification
Section 1: Amendments Any member may propose an amendment to the VSCL Constitution by giving notice to the Parliamentarian. Proposed amendments shall be voted on by the membership at the VJCL Convention, and shall require a two-thirds supermajority of the members present at the VJCL Convention for adoption.
Section 2: Emendations
The VSCL Board may, with the unanimous concurrence of its voting members, emend the format or presentation of the VSCL Constitution, or the grammatical construction of the sentences therein, provided that such changes do not alter the spirit or sentiment of the text.
The Parliamentarian, either on their own initiative or via proposal by a VSCL member, may propose emendations under the terms described above for the Board’s ratification.
All emendations ratified by the Board shall be made expeditiously and conveniently available to the membership. Any member, finding the emendations made to be in violation the standards of the foregoing subsections, may petition the Board for a vote confirming the emendations to be held at the proximate Convention. This vote shall then be held in the same manner as a vote on any amendment, requiring the same two-thirds majority for confirmation.
Section 3: Ratification This Constitution and its bylaws shall be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote in a committee set for this purpose.
Bylaws
Article I: Officers Section 1: Candidature Any member who meets the qualifications for office as listed in Article III, Section 2 of the VSCL Constitution must declare their candidacy to the Member(s)-at-Large prior to the commencement of nominations at the VJCL Convention. In the absence of the Member(s)-at-Large, candidacy should be declared to the Parliamentarian.
Section 2: Nominations Committee Meeting Declared candidates must be officially nominated at the Nominations Committee meeting, which is held at the VJCL Convention and is chaired by the Parliamentarian. In the case of the Parliamentarian’s own candidacy for office, the President shall chair the committee during the nomination and election of the office for which the Parliamentarian is running.
In case of a state of emergency in any office, where an office has fewer than two prefiled candidates for election, the Parliamentarian will ask for open nominations from the floor in order to ensure a contested election. If there are no nominations from the floor, the election will continue with a single candidate, who must receive a majority of votes to be elected into office.
An unsuccessful candidate may be nominated for another office at the Nominations Committee meeting. Elections shall take place in the following order: President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Editor.
Candidates for Member-at-Large must submit an application, which can be obtained by asking the President or Parliamentarian, by the date set by the board each year.
Section 3: Voting The members shall vote by secret ballot. The President and Parliamentarian shall count the ballots. If the President or Parliamentarian is a candidate in the election, then the President shall appoint an impartial member to replace the candidate as teller.
Election shall occur by a simple majority of those present and voting. In uncontested elections, if the candidate does not receive a majority, the candidate is not elected and the office is vacant. The newly-elected Executive Board shall appoint an eligible member to that office. In contested elections, if no candidate receives a majority, the members shall again vote, voting upon only the two leading candidates. If, after the delegates vote a second time no candidate has received a majority, then the newly-elected Executive Board shall appoint an eligible member to that office.
Section 4: Removal from Office If an officer is unable to perform their duties, they may be removed from office by a vote of the rest of the Executive Board. Any member of the VSCL board may call an emergency meeting in order to propose this vote, which must receive a simple majority. In the case of a tie, the Member at Large will make the deciding vote. If two or more members of the Executive Board must be removed from office, the remaining officers, including the Member(s)-at-large must be unanimous in their vote of expulsion
A state of emergency will be declared immediately following the removal of any officer from the board. In the time before elections occur at state Convention, the Executive Board shall appoint a qualified member as an interim officer where the VSCL Bylaws do not otherwise provide a remedy for the vacancy. A state of emergency may also be declared if any member of the Executive Board is unable to perform their duties by attending state Convention, in which case they will be immediately removed from office and replaced by an interim officer who the board chooses to carry out the remaining duties of that office.
Section 5: Vacancies If there is a vacancy in the offices of Secretary/Treasurer, Parliamentarian or Editor between elections, the Executive Board shall appoint a qualified member who shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. If there is a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall fill the office of President. If there is a vacancy in the office of Vice President, the Secretary/Treasurer shall fill the office of Vice President.
Section 6: Term of Office Each elected officer shall begin their term at their inauguration at the VJCL Convention. Each appointed officer shall begin their term of office upon appointment.
Article II: Dues
The dues of a member of the VSCL shall be set by the Executive Board each year, according to VSCL and VJCL expenses.
Article III: Duties of Officers
Section 1: Duties of the President a. Be the official representative and spokesperson of the VSCL and its membership; b. Chair the membership and the Executive Board; c. Serve as the representative for the interests of the VSCL board to the VJCL or state chairs; d. Convene the membership, the Executive Board, or any committee with cause; e. Promote membership; f. Create and appoint any necessary committees; g. Oversee the activities of the VSCL, including Certamen and academic contests; h. Work closely with the other officers; i. Have access to the Treasury of the VSCL; j. Maintain the roll of members; k. Be the administrator of official and unofficial social media pages for the VSCL; and l. Attend Kickoff Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and the VJCL Convention.
Section 2: Duties of the Vice President a. Assume the Presidency upon any permanent vacancy of the position; b. Execute the duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence; c. Assist the President; d. Promote, proliferate, and promulgate the VSCL and contact Virginia universities and high schools to create a network of collegiate Classics students in order to continually grow membership. e. Perform the duties necessary to execute the “That’s Entertainment” show during the VJCL Convention which shall include but not be limited to; i. plan and diligently detail the emcee script prior to the VJCL Convention, ii. devise a committee, if necessary, to revise and create scripts prior to Convention, iii. recruit, gather, and brief SCL members concerning scripts and planned skits following the SCL mixer and elections for the intent and purpose of performance the following day; f. Coordinate social gatherings outside of certamina and Conventions; g. Through fastidious and proper preparation, host and emcee the “That’s Entertainment” talent show on the Monday of the VJCL Convention; and h. Attend Kickoff Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and the VJCL Convention. Section 3: Duties of the Secretary/Treasurer a. Assume the Vice Presidency upon any permanent vacancy of the position; b. Execute the duties of the Vice President in the event of the Vice President’s absence; c. Carefully record all proceedings of the membership and Executive Board, and circulate these minutes to each officer after the meeting; d. Collect any dues or fees or any routine debt owed to the organization; e. Deposit any income to the treasury and provide for its safekeeping in the organization’s name; f. Disburse funds as appropriated by the Executive Board or Advisor(s) g. Carefully record the various VSCL monetary transfers; and h. Attend Kickoff Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and the VJCL Convention.
Section 4: Duties of the Parliamentarian a. Administer the election of officers; b. Advise any officer or member of procedure; c. Help the chair keep order at any meeting; d. Maintain and facilitate the improvement and emendation of the VSCL Constitution and bylaws e. Send the list of newly elected officers and the revised VSCL Constitution and Bylaws to the National Senior Classical League upon taking office; and f. Attend Kickoff Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and the VJCL Convention.
Section 5: Duties of the Editor a. Maintain the VSCL web page; b. Create and distribute any media requested or submitted by the Executive Board; and c. Attend Kickoff Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and the VJCL Convention. Section 6: Duties of the Member(s)-at-Large a. Provide guidance to the VSCL boards through advice and anecdotes. b. Support the VSCL board by carrying out other tasks as assigned; and c. Attend Kickoff Certamen, State Finals Certamen, and the VJCL Convention. d. Encourage and inculcate a sense of cohesive community among the members of the VSCL through an advisory role as an experienced presence at VSCL events.
Section 7: Duties of the Executive Board Attend each meeting of the membership and Executive Board unless granted a special exemption by the President. These meetings include, but are not limited to, planning meetings held once during the fall semester and once during the spring semester, and the business meeting the Saturday night of the VJCL Convention. Administration and management of official and unofficial social media pages for the VSCL will be at the discretion of the VSCL Board.
Article IV: Advisors
The Executive Board shall annually choose one Certamen Advisor and one Convention Advisor. Each Advisor must hold membership in the American Classical League. The Certamen Advisor will be responsible for organizing the annual Kickoff and State Finals Certamen tournaments alongside the VSCL Board, as well as the VJCL State Certamen team each summer. The Convention Advisor will be responsible for advising and collaborating with the Executive Board and VSCL members at the State Convention.
Article V: Amendments
Section 1: Amendments Any member may propose an amendment to the VSCL bylaws by giving notice to the Parliamentarian before elections at Convention. Proposed amendments shall be voted on by the membership at the VJCL Convention. In order to be ratified, the proposed amendment must receive a two-thirds vote of members present at the VJCL Convention.
Section 2: Emendations a. The VSCL Board may, with the unanimous concurrence of its voting members, emend the format or presentation of the VSCL Constitution, or the grammatical construction of the sentences therein, provided that such changes do not alter the spirit or sentiment of the text. b. The Parliamentarian, either on their own initiative or via proposal by a VSCL member, may propose emendations under the terms described above for the Board’s ratification. c. All emendations ratified by the Board shall be made expeditiously and conveniently available to the membership. Any member, finding the emendations made to be in violation the standards of the foregoing subsections, may petition the Board for a vote confirming the emendations to be held at the proximate Convention. This vote shall then be held in the same manner as a vote on any amendment, requiring the same two-thirds majority for confirmation.
VSCL Code of Conduct
Article I: Guiding Principles
“NJCL is committed to providing a climate that fosters respect for all those involved in our activities. As such, NJCL prohibits harassment based on gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or protected activity (such as reporting alleged harassment).”
The above tenant from the NJCL Convention Code of Conduct will serve as the guiding principle of the VSCL Code of Conduct. The NJCL Code of Conduct will always be the principal governing Code of Conduct of members of the VSCL at VJCL Convention, but the VSCL Code of Conduct is created for the purpose of applying the above quoted tenant of the NJCL Code of Conduct to VSCL members year-round whenever interacting with other VSCL members. Further guidelines set forth by the NJCL Convention Code of Conduct to be applicable all year include:
“SCL members will behave in a manner that will set an example for all students who attend the VJCL Convention.”
Article II: Enforcement
Section 1 Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Section 2 If a participant engages in harassing behaviour in violation of the VSCL Code of Conduct, proper authorities (as determined in 3.4 and 3.5) retain the right to take any actions to keep VSCL a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or losing VSCL membership.
Article III: Reporting
Section 1 If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of VSCL for everyone. We want you to be happy in our organization. People like you make VSCL better.
Section 2 The VSCL Board will be happy to help you contact security, local law enforcement, local support services, or otherwise assist you to feel safe. We value your membership.
Section 3 Anonymity of all parties will be preserved unless permission is granted.
Section 4 Reporting at Convention.a. Report all infractions of the NJCL Code of Conduct to the Virginia State Chairs and the VSCL Convention Advisor.
Section 5 Reporting Outside of Convention. a. Submit an incident Form to the VSCL Advisor via email. i. See attached. b. First the VSCL Advisor will review the situation, if it is deemed necessary to address then the VSCL Board and the State Chairs will conduct a hearing. Section 6 Timeline.a. VSCL members who fail to adhere to all Convention rules will be notified immediately whether they will be asked to leave Convention and whether they will be allowed to attend any future VSCL events. b. If an infraction occurs outside of Convention, the hearing will occur as soon as possible at a meeting of the VSCL Board and State Chairs.