St.

Laurence High School CYO

Constitution
&
Operating Procedures

Adopted May 17, 2002

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 Table of Contents
Section A: Constitution……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
I. Title…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
II. Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
III. Membership……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
IV. Board…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
A. Officers………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
B. Directors……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
C. Control…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
D. Adult Advisors………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
E. Decision-Making……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
F. Decisions of the Board…………………………………………………………………………… 6
G. Succession of Authority………………………………………………………………………… 6
H. Elections……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
V. Duties of the Board Members………………………………………………………………… 7
A. President……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
B. Vice-President………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
C. Treasurer……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
D. Secretary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
E. Spiritual Director……………………………………………………………………………………… 8
F. Service Director…………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
G. Social Director……………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
H. Cultural Director………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
I. Athletic Director………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
VI. Rules of Order…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
VII. Schedule of Meetings…………………………………………………………………………………… 10
VIII.Process for Making Changes to the Constitution……………… 10
IX. Constitution Period of Review…………………………………………………………… 11
SECTION B: AMENDMENTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
SECTION C: APPROVALS………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13

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 Section A

Constitution

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 Section A – Constitution for St. Laurence High School CYO

I. Title
This organization shall be known as St. Laurence High School C.Y.O. (Catholic Youth
Organization).

II. Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to provide programs and activities for the high
school students of St. Laurence Parish, Highland Park, PA., within the Office for Youth and
Young Adults (O.Y.Y.A.) and the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) of the Archdiocese
of Philadelphia. This organization shall strive to develop projects in the five areas of CYO:
• Spiritual
• Service
• Social
• Cultural
• Athletic.
In developing these projects, the high school students involved should devise the concepts,
build the plans, and execute them with minimal assistance from adults. The principle of
increasing the leadership, planning, self-reliance, and self-confidence of the members is
paramount to the program.

III. Membership
The Membership shall be open to all high school students within St. Laurence Parish,
regardless of high school attended. In addition, adult volunteers are required to oversee the
workings of the organization. The adults will act as advisors to the high school students, in
order to guide them through decision-making, self-reliance, and self-confidence.

IV. Board
A. Officers
There shall be four central officers of the organization: President, Vice-President (or
co-President), Treasurer, and Secretary. These are listed in order of authority. The
duties of each are listed in the following pages.

B. Directors
In addition, directors of each of the five CYO phases (Spiritual, Service, Social,
Cultural, and Athletic) shall be members of the governing board.

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C. Control
The control of this organization shall be vested in the CYO Board, which shall
consist of the following members:
1. Officers
2. Directors
3. Adult Advisors.

D. Adult Advisors
The following individuals are Advising members of the board:
1. Chief Adult Advisor
2. Spiritual Adult Advisor
3. Service Adult Advisor
4. Social Adult Advisor
5. Cultural Adult Advisor
6. Athletic Adult Advisor.

In addition, other Adult Advisors or Junior Adult Advisors may be involved as

necessary. Junior Adult Advisors are those who have completed high school, but
have not yet reached their 21st year.

The Chief Adult Advisor must be at least 25 years of age, while other Adult Advisors
must be at least 21 years of age.

E. Decision-Making
1. Decisions, new projects, and matters of procedure should be voted on
whenever possible by the entire CYO body, with the exceptions of the Adult
Advisors who do not vote.
2. Adult Advisors should advise the students. If, in the opinion of the Adult
Advisor(s), an action planned by the high school membership could be
detrimental to the group as a whole, immoral, illegal, dangerous, or offensive,
the adult advisor(s) shall have Veto power. It is only in these circumstances
that an Adult Advisor shall take action against the decisions of the teenage
membership.
3. Adult Advisors may suggest, or offer opinions, but the main decision-making
power rests with the student membership.
4. Members who have not attended any of the last three meetings shall lose their
right to vote on matters pertaining to the High School CYO. This right will be
reinstated after such members have attended two consecutive meetings.
5. When decisions must be made, without the availability of a general
membership vote, the officers of the organization, in consultation with at least
one Adult Advisor, will have the power to decide on actions. No decisions
shall be made by the officers without consulting with an Adult Advisor.
6. Matters of procedure, direction of the organization, and general meeting
organization shall be decided by the Board.
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 7. Individual events, projects, etc. should be planned, developed, and executed
by committees formed for that particular event or project. Membership of the
committee will vary from one event/project to the next. The Directors of the
five CYO areas shall be members or chairs of all projects or events in their
respective areas. For example, if a social event is being planned, the Social
Director will be a member or the chair of that committee. Other members, or
chair, will be appointed or selected, as the need arises. Each committee
should always consult with their corresponding Adult Advisor before taking
specific actions.

F. Decisions of the Board

1. Each voting member shall have one vote. If an individual holds dual positions
within the board (for example, Vice-President and Social Director), that
individual shall have only one vote.
2. A quorum, consisting of 50% of the Active Board members plus one (1) is
required for any votes to be taken. (For example, if there are eleven (11)
active board members, then a quorum is seven (7). If there are ten (10) active
board members, then a quorum is six (6).) Inactive board members and adult
advisors are not counted when determining a quorum.
3. All decisions shall consist of a simple majority of votes being cast
(Abstentions are not considered votes cast.)
4. In the event of a tie vote, the matter shall be tabled until the next general
meeting. At that time, the matter shall be put to a general vote. If the matter
cannot be postponed, then the President, in consultation with the Adult
Advisor, shall decide the matter.

G. Succession of Authority
If the President is unavailable, succession of authority shall fall to the Vice-President.
If the Vice-President is unavailable, succession of authority shall fall to the
Treasurer. If the Treasurer is unavailable, succession of authority shall fall to the
Secretary. If none of the above is present, then no meeting will be held.

H. Elections
The President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary will be elected to one (1) year
terms and will be elected at the May meeting. They may be elected to a maximum of
two (2) terms in any one particular office, but may be elected to other offices after
their two-year term in one position has expired. Nominations may be made in April
in order to verify the acceptance of nominations. Nominations may be reopened
prior to the voting at the May meeting. Specific dates shall be decided by the
President and advertised to all members.

V. Duties of the Board Members

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The duties of the members of the High School CYO Board are:

A. President
1. He/She shall represent St. Laurence High School CYO at all Diocesan and Region
High School meetings and coordinate the event scheduling of CYO activities.
2. The President is the main representative of the High School CYO for all other Parish
events, functions in which the high School CYO is represented, and in dealings with
other groups (may be accompanied by an Adult Advisor).
3. The President is a voting member of the board. In addition, he/she shall have the
right to break ties in all board meeting votes, if and only if a general membership
meeting has not been scheduled in time.
4. The President shall schedule all general membership meetings on a regular basis, as
determined by the high school membership.
5. The President shall create and distribute an Agenda for each meeting, and make sure
that the membership follows the agenda during the meeting. The Agenda should be built
by consulting with the board members for items to be placed on the Agenda. Any
previous items not covered or decided at previous meetings should be included. The
general format shall be prayer, reviewing the previous meeting’s minutes, old business,
new business, announcement of next meeting, call for closing the meeting, and closing
prayer.
6. The President shall call for a vote when matters require it. The counting of votes in
such matters shall be done by the President or appointed delegate. The announcement of
the outcome of each vote is announced by the President.
7. He/She shall call on different committees or areas for a report on activities planned,
executed, or completed.
8. He/She shall start and end all meetings with a Prayer.
9. He/She shall be empowered to decide or answer questions for the organization when a
Board decision, or general membership decision, cannot be made in time.
10. He/She is answerable to the general membership and the Chief Adult Advisor for all
decisions made.

B. Vice-President
1. When the President is not available, the Vice-President shall have all of the powers of
the President, including running and scheduling meetings, representing the High School
CYO, and making emergency decisions.
2. In the normal running of the organization, the Vice-President shall be a member of all
committees. He/She may not necessarily be the chair of the committee, nor have any
special voting privileges. The Vice-President shall act as any other committee member,
answerable to the committee chairperson.
3. The Vice-President is a voting member of the board. He/She shall have the right to
break ties in all board meeting votes, if and only if the President is not present, and a
general membership meeting has not been scheduled in time.

C. Treasurer
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 1. The treasurer shall maintain the High School CYO funds, and be accountable to the
board for all receipts and expenditures.
2. The treasurer shall maintain all records of receipts and expenditures, and cross-
reference them in the account.
3. He/She shall balance the account(s) of the High School CYO on a periodic basis,
usually when an account statement is received.
4. Any discrepancy in the account(s) should be reported immediately to the President
and Chief Adult Advisor.
5. The treasurer shall pay all bills in a timely manner, noting the purpose of the
expenditure in both the register and the receipts, thereby creating a cross-reference.
6. He/She shall be responsible for collecting/receiving all funds from fundraisers, gifts,
etc., recording them, and depositing the funds into the appropriate account(s).In the same
way, all deposits should be cross-referenced.
7. The treasurer will present all records, receipts, and statements whenever an audit is
required, or whenever requested by the Chief Adult Advisor.
8. The treasurer shall make a report at each meeting of the current state of finances,
including the current balance, income and expenses since last meeting.

D. Secretary
1. He/She shall record all items at both board meetings and general membership
meetings. This includes:
- all items discussed, votes taken and their results;
- committees formed or appointed with their purpose, chairperson, and dates for
reports and/or results;
- next scheduled meeting.
2. These meeting minutes should be distributed to all members in a timely manner.
3. The minutes may be read, reviewed, and accepted/updated at the next scheduled
meeting. The secretary is responsible for publishing updated minutes, if necessary.
4. The secretary is responsible for having announcements (especially for meetings)
placed in the Church Bulletin. These items should be typed and sent to Mrs. Angie
Cugini at the Rectory no later than Monday at noon.
5. The secretary is also responsible for all mailings, notifications of meetings, and
announcements to the general membership.

E. Spiritual Director
1. The goal of the Spiritual Director is to bring the teenage membership closer to God.
He/She is responsible for all activities, projects, events, or committees dealing with
Spiritual aspects. These would include retreats, prayer services, Masses, etc.
2. For events that will be recurring and spiritual in nature, the Spiritual Director is
responsible. If the event requires a committee, the Spiritual Director becomes the
chairperson. He/she would be responsible for scheduling, requesting permissions, etc.
3. In the role of Spiritual Director, he/she may be asked to represent the spiritual area on
other committees, and is the main contact for spiritual requests.
4. May be responsible for meeting prayers (opening and/or closing) if requested by the
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 President.
5. Becomes the main champion of spiritual events, suggesting ideas, plans, etc.

F. Service Director
1. The purpose of the Service Director is to drive opportunities to be of service to others.
He/She is responsible for all activities, projects, events, or committees dealing with
Service aspects. These would include St. Vincent DePaul clothing collections, Parish
service events, etc.
2. For events that will be recurring and service in nature, the Service Director is
responsible. If the event requires a committee, the Service Director becomes the
chairperson. He/she would be responsible for scheduling, requesting permissions, etc.
3. In the role of Service Director, he/she may be asked to represent the service area on
other committees, and is the main contact for service requests.
4. Becomes the main champion of service events, suggesting ideas, plans, etc.

G. Social Director
1. The objective of the Social Director is to provide opportunities for teens to get to
know each other, as well as others. He/She is responsible for all activities, projects,
events, or committees dealing with Social aspects. These would include dances, parties,
social trips, Parish social events, etc.
2. For events that will be recurring and social in nature, the Social Director is
responsible. If the event requires a committee, the Social Director becomes the
chairperson. He/she would be responsible for scheduling, requesting permissions, etc.
3. In the role of Social Director, he/she may be asked to represent the social area on
other committees, and is the main contact for social requests.
4. Becomes the main champion of social events, suggesting ideas, plans, etc.

H. Cultural Director
1. The function of the Cultural Director is to provide opportunities for teens to
experience culture, ideas, and adventures. He/She is responsible for all activities,
projects, events, or committees dealing with Cultural aspects. These would include
dances, parties, trips, Parish cultural events, etc.
2. For events that will be recurring and cultural in nature, the Cultural Director is
responsible. If the event requires a committee, the Cultural Director becomes the
chairperson. He/she would be responsible for scheduling, requesting permissions, etc.
3. In the role of Cultural Director, he/she may be asked to represent the cultural area on
other committees, and is the main contact for cultural requests.
4. Becomes the main champion of cultural events, suggesting ideas, plans, etc.

I.

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 Athletic Director
1. The function of the Athletic Director is to provide opportunities for teens to
experience culture, ideas, and adventures. He/She is responsible for all activities,
projects, events, or committees dealing with Athletic aspects. These would include High
School basketball teams, and Parish athletic events, etc.
2. For events that will be recurring and athletic in nature, the Athletic Director is
responsible. If the event requires a committee, the Athletic Director becomes the
chairperson. He/she would be responsible for scheduling, requesting permissions,
contacting the grade school CYO Athletic Director (if necessary), etc.
3. In the role of Athletic Director, he/she may be asked to represent the athletic area on
other committees, and is the main contact for athletic requests.
4. Becomes the main champion of athletic events, suggesting ideas, plans, etc.

VI. Rules of Order

The Board and/or General Membership may adopt any rule, not inconsistent with the
provisions of the Constitution, to provide for the orderly conduct of all meetings of
this organization. A record shall be kept of all rules adopted by the Board. In the
absence of such rules, Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall govern the deliberations
of this Board and Organization.

VII. Schedule of Meetings

The Board shall meet at least quarterly to review and decide general direction or the
organization. The dates will be set and announced by the President.

General membership meetings should be held at least once a month, following the
school year. An initial meeting in August may be held; otherwise meetings will
begin in September, and continue through the beginning of June.

These meetings may be convened more or less often, depending on the needs of the
organization at the time.

VIII. Process for Making Changes to the High School CYO Constitution
Any active member of the membership can submit a proposed amendment to this
Constitution. The amendment must be submitted in writing at one of the regularly
scheduled meetings. The proposed amendment can be discussed at that meeting but
can not be voted upon until the next regularly scheduled meeting. The amendment
should be presented to all members, and the date of the meeting to vote on the
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 amendment should be published.

In order to approve an amendment, a 2/3 majority vote of all members must be

obtained. The vote must be taken at a meeting previously announced. Email ballots
or mailed ballots may be presented by the Secretary, validated, and counted. If the
amendment does not achieve a 2/3 majority vote, the amendment is denied. It may
be presented again two months from the date of the vote.

IX. Constitution Period of Review

The Board shall review this Constitution every four years. During the review, all
amendments will be incorporated into the main text. The active members of the
Board shall indicate their approval of this Constitution by signing them at the May
meeting.

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 Section B

Amendments

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Section C

Approvals

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 Section C - Approval

We the members of the St. Laurence High School C.Y.O. Board do hereby adopt this Constitution
on this the 17th day of May, 2002.

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

Spiritual Director

Service Director

Social Director

Cultural Director

Athletic Director

Chief Adult Advisor

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