THE CONSTITUTION OF THE WISCONSIN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE
(adopted 1984, revised 2017)
Preamble
We, the members of the Wisconsin Junior Classical League, in order to coordinate the work of chapters within the state and to assist with the activities of the National Junior Classical League, do hereby adopt the following constitution and agree to abide by its provisions.
Article I: Name and Emblem
Section 1.1. The name of this organization shall be the Wisconsin Junior Classical League (WJCL).
Section 1.2. The emblem of this organization shall be a reproduction of the national emblem, namely a torch encircled with a laurel wreath, and the colors shall be Roman purple and gold.
Article II: Purpose
Section 2.1. The purpose of the WJCL shall be to gain a more thorough knowledge of classical life, history, ;and literature; to understand the practical and cultural values of the classics, and to interest other students in classical languages, literature, government, law, and arts.
Section 2.2. The WJCL shall formulate its policies in accordance with the policies of the NJCL, of which the WJCL shall be a federation member.
Section 2.3. The welfare of the WJCL requires close cooperation among the affiliated clubs, the individual members, the officers, the sponsors, and the State Chair(s). Long-term needs and immediate concerns must be balanced carefully. To this end, every attempt has been made to provide checks and balances to assure that every substantial decision truly has the support of both those most concerned with the long-term health of the organization – the sponsors and the State Chair(s) – and those most concerned with the immediate needs of the organization – the members and officers. However, the most effective measure to aid the welfare of the organization is the close cooperation of all members of the organization.
Article III: Membership
Section 3.1. Any Latin Club in Wisconsin may affiliate with the WJCL by application to the State Chair(s) and payment of dues. Such clubs shall consist of students preceding the college level who are taking or have taken Latin, Greek, or other classical studies courses. All registered members of any such Latin Club become individual members of the WJCL upon payment of dues. The sponsors of such chapters shall be members of the American Classical League.
Section 3.2. Qualified persons who wish to become members of the WJCL but lack a local chapter may become at-large members of the WJCL by application to the State Chair(s).
Section 3.3. Qualified members of local chapters are individual members of the WJCL.
Section 3.4. Latin Clubs in Wisconsin that affiliate with either the WJCL of the NJCL must join both organizations. Similarly, at-large membership must be held with both organizations.
Article IV: Officers
Section 4.1. The elected officers of the WJCL shall be, in gavel order: President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Parliamentarian, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Technology Coordinator, and Editor.
Section 4.2. All officers shall serve from 31 days after their election at state convention until 31 days after the following convention. The Treasurer may maintain the treasury for an additional two months to assure proper payment of all convention bills.
Section 4.3. Any officer must be a member of both the WJCL and the NJCL. Candidates for President must have entered the tenth or higher grade; candidates for any other office must have entered the ninth or higher grade. No candidates for office shall have completed the eleventh grade. These shall be the only requirements for seeking and holding office in WJCL.
Section 4.4. Officers may resign by submitting a letter of resignation to both the President and Parliamentarian.
Section 4.5. Any sponsor or officer may begin impeachment proceedings by sending the President, Parliamentarian, and charged officer a letter detailing charges or abrogation of duties of office. At the next board meeting – which may not be held until at least one week after the charged officer has received written notice of the charges – a motion to read the charges against the officer may be introduced. If a simple majority of Board members present passes the motion, the charged officer will be granted the floor in order to present a defense. Only after this defense may a motion to remove the officer from office be introduced. This motion shall require the approval of two-thirds of Board members present in order to pass.
Article V: Elections for Office
Section 5.1. All candidates who wish to run for office must declare their intention to do so by submitting the necessary forms to the Parliamentarian by the December board meeting. At the December board meeting, the Parliamentarian will announce the candidates for each office.
Section 5.2. Should no candidates declare their intent to run for an office by the December board meeting, a State-of- Emergency is to be declared. The Parliamentarian is obligated to notify all Chapters as soon as possible. Any qualified member of the WJCL, including a current candidate for another office , except those who are the sole candidate for an office, may declare their intention to run for the office. Should no JCL member declare candidacy for the office by January 1st, a Vacancy Election shall be held after State Convention.
Section 5.3. Officers shall be elected at the annual State Convention. Each candidate shall be limited to one speech of three minutes at state convention. Each chapter attending the state convention shall select a Voting Delegate to report the vote of that chapter. The Parliamentarian shall retain the ballots of any contested election for examination by any WJCL member for one year after the election in question.
Section 5.4. If a candidate is found actively and explicitly advertising their campaign at any time before the close of the first general assembly at a given State Convention, they will be disqualified from seeking office at that convention. Any allegations of precampaigning must be submitted to the State Chair(s), at which point the State Chair(s) will meet with the candidate and their sponsor to discuss the matter. Any motion to disqualify a candidate on charges of precampaigning will pass at the discretion of the State Chair(s).
Section 5.5. Should a vacancy occur in the office of President, the 1st Vice-President shall become President. Should a vacancy occur in any office other than that of the President, the Parliamentarian is obligated to notify all Chapters as soon as possible and call a Vacancy Election.
Section 5.6. Any qualified WJCL member who is not an officer on the WJCL Board at the time of the election meeting may submit a declaration of candidacy to be considered a candidate in a Vacancy Election, provided that the candidacy is declared at least one week prior to the election meeting. No more than one candidate from a single chapter may run in a vacancy election, provided that there are not four members from the aforementioned chapter on the board serving for the term for which the candidate is eligible. At the election meeting, each candidate shall be interviewed individually in front of all voters present. Each Board member – State Chair(s), current officers, and club representatives – shall be entitled to one vote. However, WJCL officers who are also their clubs’ voting delegates must either forfeit their votes as officers or their clubs’ votes. A candidate must win a majority of votes cast in order to be elected. Should no candidate win a majority of the votes, a runoff election between the two candidates who received the most votes shall occur. In the case of a tie for the candidate with the second-most votes in a run-off election, the candidate with the plurality is elected to office.
Section 5.7. No more than one candidate from one chapter may run for each position in any election at State Convention, and no more than four candidates total from one chapter may run in any election, provided that there are not four members from the aforementioned chapter on the board serving for the term for which the candidates are eligible.
Section 5.8. Should a State-of-Emergency be declared and a Vacancy Election occur, current officers will be barred from running for a second position. Officers may only hold one position on the Executive Board per term.
Article VI: Voting Procedure at State Convention
Section 6.1. Voting for office and amendments shall be by chapter with each chapter entitled to two
votes, plus one additional vote for every 10 delegates or major fraction thereof. No chapter may claim more votes than the number of delegates from that school attending the convention. Chapters may vote in favor of a candidate, abstain, or cast a vote of no confidence. An abstention is not included in the total number of votes cast; a vote of no confidence is included in the total number of votes cast.
Section 6.2. A candidate running unopposed must receive a majority of votes cast in favor of election. For a contested office, a candidate must receive a plurality of eligible votes cast to be elected to an office. For an office contested by more than two candidates, should no candidate achieve a majority of eligible votes, a runoff election will be held between the top two candidates. Method for instituting the runoff shall be decided before the convention via an adopted bylaw. Ties shall be broken by the State Chair(s). In the case of a tie for the candidate with the second-most votes in a run-off election, the candidate with the plurality is elected to office.
Section 6.3. In voting for any convention business other than election of officers and amendments, each delegate shall be entitled to one vote.
Section 6.4. A chapter’s failure to send two delegates to the Candidates’ Open Forum will result in the forfeiture of its votes. If a school only sends one delegate to the convention, only one delegate is required at the Open Forum.
Article VII: Meetings
Section 7.1. The regular meetings of the WJCL shall occur once every month on a Sunday (barring a holiday or extenuating circumstance).
Section 7.2. The meetings shall take place at the school of a current WJCL State Officer or current state registrar.
Section 7.3. The date and place of each meeting shall be decided by a voice vote at the previous meeting.
Article VIII: Quorum
Section 8.1. For any convention business, three-fifths of the delegates attending the WJCL Convention shall constitute a quorum.
Article IX: Amendments to the Constitution
Section 9.1. Any WJCL member may submit amendments to the Parliamentarian for consideration. At the December WJCL board meeting, the Parliamentarian shall present proposed amendments for discussion and revision. The Parliamentarian shall submit the final versions of proposed amendments to all chapters at least 15 days prior to State Convention.
Section 9.2. Ratification of amendments shall require a two-thirds majority of votes cast, excluding those of abstention, and the approval of three-quarters of the chapters attending the State Convention.
Section 9.3. At each WJCL state convention for which amendments have been proposed, the Parliamentarian shall call a meeting to present these amendments. Two representatives from each delegation in attendance must be present at this meeting. Failure to send two representatives to the Amendments meeting will result in the forfeiture of the chapter’s votes. If a school only sends one
delegate to the convention, only one delegate is required at the Amendments meeting.
THE BYLAWS OF THE WISCONSIN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE
(adopted 2017)
Article I: Dues and Expenditures
Section 1.1. JCL dues shall be $10 per chapter and $6 per member, where chapter sponsors shall send $4 of WJCL dues directly to the WJCL and $2 of NJCL dues directly to the NJCL.
Section 1.2. Both the Executive Board and the State Chair(s) must approve any expenditures. However, the planning of the state convention shall be regarded as authority to spend all money necessary to obtain mandated facilities. Stipends may be authorized for the State Chair(s), officers, and chaperones; no such stipends shall exceed twice the delegate fee for the state convention. The President may authorize expenses of up to $25 per individual, subject to approval of the Executive Board and the State Chair(s).
Article II: Officer Duties
Section 2.1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the WJCL except for one General Assembly of the state convention, maintain the presidential files, and call board meetings with at least ten days' notice to all officers and chapters. The president may appoint committees with Chairs, serve ex-officio on committees, and plan yearly projects. The president shall assign adult moderators for state convention events subject to the approval of the Executive Board and the State Chair(s).
Section 2.2. The 1st Vice President shall aid in the promotion of membership and communication among chapters. The 1st Vice President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President or when otherwise requested by the President.
Section 2.3. The 2nd Vice President shall perform all duties relating to spirit and service, including spirit contests, roll call, service contests, promotion of spirit and service, and any other spirit and service related activities.
Section 2.4. The Parliamentarian will be responsible for using Robert’s Rules of Order to determine any procedural questions. The Parliamentarian shall maintain a current copy of the WJCL Constitution and provide nomination papers for candidates. The Parliamentarian shall preside over the Amendment Meeting, the Code of Conduct Meeting, one General Assembly, and any other meetings pertaining to elections, the constitution, or amendments.
Section 2.5. The Secretary shall send copies of minutes of WJCL General Assemblies and Board Meetings to all officers and chapters within two weeks after such meetings. The Secretary also shall conduct WJCL correspondence and retain appropriate records.
Section 2.6. The Treasurer shall maintain a record of receipts and expenditures, pay all bills authorized by the executive board, and submit reports at state convention and board meetings. All payments shall be co-signed by the State Chair(s) or adult designate of the State Chair(s). The Treasurer shall hold at least one event at which funds are raised to benefit the WJCL each year, which may include any products sold at the National Convention, preside over any such fundraising for the WJCL, including any products sold by the WJCL, and shall also preside over the WJCL Bazaar.
Section 2.7. The Historian shall prepare a scrapbook for the National Junior Classical League Convention, create a video summarizing the WJCL and promoting the upcoming State Convention prior to said Convention, and keep any applicable media accounts of the WJCL up-to-date.
Section 2.8. The Editor shall prepare at least three bulletins that will be distributed to all WJCL Chapters. This bulletin shall be called the WJCL Torch. One of the issues of the WJCL Torch shall be produced for the WJCL Convention and will include candidate biographies. Each year, the Editor shall review and perform any needed corrections on the WJCL Convention Program.
Section 2.9. The Technology Coordinator shall maintain a current and well organized website to ensure that all WJCL members have access to information regarding WJCL activities. The Technology Coordinator shall update the WJCL website with information approved by the board, provide downloadable copies of WJCL forms and paperwork, facilitate communication among the chapters through technological means; and aid in the acquisition of other technology for the use of the WJCL. After State Convention, the Technology Coordinator shall work closely with the Technology Coordinator-Elect in order to ensure a smooth transition of operations.
Section 2.10. All WJCL Officers shall be required to attend the NJCL Convention that takes place during their term in office, barring any personal emergencies, as per discretion of the State Chair(s).
Article III: Run-Off Elections
Section 3.1. Run-off elections at State convention shall take place at a fellowship after all votes are submitted. In order to achieve election, a candidate must receive a plurality of eligible votes, excluding votes of abstention. Number of votes per chapter will be decided by the method stated in Constitution article 6.1 Tiles will be broken by the State Chair(s).
Article IV: State Chair(s)
Section 4.1. The WJCL shall have one or more State Chair(s).
Section 4.2. The State Chair(s) shall be elected annually by the sponsors of each WJCL Chapter.
Section 4.3. A WJCL State Chair must be teaching a Classics course at a WJCL Chapter school for the duration of their term.
Section 4.4. The State Chair(s) shall conduct long range planning of the WJCL, prepare a yearly budget and state convention cost analysis, and determine the cost of the state convention (subject only to overruling by four-fifths of Board members present at an open Executive Board meeting). The State Chair(s) shall work carefully with officers for the good of the WJCL.
Article V: Executive Board
Section 5.1. The WJCL Executive Board shall consist of the State Chair(s), WJCL Officers, and one representative from each affiliated club.
Section 5.2. The purpose of the club representative shall be to represent the local club at WJCL Executive board meetings. Local chapters shall elect a club representative. If the representative is unable to attend a board meeting, a substitute from the same school may be selected. If no member from a school is present at the Board Meeting, that school forfeits their vote. A WJCL officer may not vote both as an officer and as a club representative. Club Representatives shall have the same voting and discussion privileges as officers at WJCL Executive Board meetings.
Article VI: National Candidacy
Section 6.1. All those interested in national candidacy must make their intent known to the current WJCL Executive Board by the May board meeting.
Section 6.2. At the May board meeting, each candidate’s application describing his or her qualifications for National Office will be reviewed by the Executive Board, in preparation for choosing one (1) candidate.
Section 6.3. No applicant for National Junior Classical League office may be present for or participate in the review of or voting on applicants.
Section 6.4. After reviewing each application, the Executive Board shall select one (1) candidate from among the applicants by a simple majority vote.
Section 6.5. The WJCL State Chair(s) must endorse the candidate selected by the Executive Board.
Article VII: National Certamen
Section 7.1. The 8 players who are registered as possible Certamen players for Wisconsin (in June) shall be chosen by a vote of the State Chair(s).[1]
Section 7.2. The 4 players who will be the starters on each Wisconsin team will be chosen 2 weeks before the national convention by a vote of State Chair(s).[2]
Article VIII: Amendment of Bylaws
Section 8.1. Bylaws may be amended at both State Convention and at monthly board meetings.
Section 8.2. Any WJCL member may submit amendments to the bylaws to the Parliamentarian for consideration. The Parliamentarian shall then submit the initial versions of proposed amendments to the bylaws to all chapters at least 15 days prior to the next board meeting or State Convention. Amendments to the bylaws may not be discussed without prior notice.
Section 8.3. At board meetings only, any WJCL member may edit his or her proposed amendments to the bylaws prior to voting on said amendments.
Sections 8.4. Ratification of amendments to the bylaws shall require either a two-thirds majority of the Executive Board at board meetings, excluding votes of abstention, or a simple majority of the delegates at State Convention, excluding votes of abstention.