Constitution
Our Constitution - Our Structure - Our Rules
Constitution as amended 2nd October 2007
| 1. | Constitution |
| 1.1 | The Youth Council shall be known as St. Albans Youth Council, hereinafter referred to as SAYC. |
| 1.2 | St. Albans shall be defined as the City and District of St. Albans and delineated by the boundaries of the St. Albans City and District Council. |
| 2. | Objects |
| 2.1 | SAYC aims to: |
| i. | be a proactive body representing and advocating the views of young people to the appropriate authorities |
| ii. | initiate, facilitate and manage projects for and on behalf of young people |
| iii. | act as an accurate and honest consultative body in order for local institutions to research youth trends |
| iv. | further the education of young people in St. Albans through running voluntary programs |
| v. | improve the man-made and natural environment for everyone in St. Albans |
| vi. | Improve and/or promote the well-being of young people in St. Albans |
| 3. | Powers |
| 3.1 | SAYC can: |
| i. | lobby the councils at both District and County levels |
| ii. | gather the views of its constituents and represent them to the relevant institutions |
| iii. | work in all areas of St. Albans & District, but will not deal with matters specific to Redbourn and Harpenden unless by agreement with the appropriate Youth Council for that area. |
| iv. | Do anything calculated to improve or promote the well-being of young people in St. Albans |
| v. | SAYC shall be empowered to use expenditure to cover the cost of necessary activities |
| 4. | Membership |
| 4.1 | SAYC will consist of a maximum of 40 members including up to 25 co-opted members, and representatives from Harpenden and Redbourne Youth Councils. |
| 4.2 | A Youth Councillor’s membership will last two years from the date of the AGM or until his/her 21st birthday, whichever is the sooner. The AGM will be held in January following elections in the autumn school term. |
| 4.3 | Councillors will be selected from within their constituencies. A constituency will comprise any definable group of young people based within the area boundaries of St. Albans City and District Council, e.g. schools, youth clubs, scout groups, guide groups, church youth groups, youth sports clubs etc. |
| 4.4 | Councillors must be between the ages of 11 and 19 inclusive at the time of joining. |
| 4.5 | A constituency of up to 50 people is entitled to select one representative, between 50 and 500 it is entitled to select two and over 500, three representatives. The exceptions to this rule are Harpenden and Redbourn Youth Councils, which may select up to three representatives each. |
| 4.6 | A Councillor must attend a minimum of seven Full Youth Council meetings in any one year running from AGM to AGM, or SAYC will have the right, decided by vote at Full Youth Council, to expel him/her. If a member is expelled, the appropriate constituency will be advised and may select a replacement if it so wishes. |
| 4.7 | A Youth Councillor may resign at any time by written notice to the chair. |
| 5. | General Business |
| 5.1 | The council will meet once a month, although a meeting may be cancelled during the holidays if there is no activity. The date and time will be set and agreed by the youth council and fixed. |
| 5.2 | SAYC will have a number of officers elected by a secret ballot at the annual general meeting (AGM) |
| 5.3 | No Officer will hold the same post for longer than 2 years consecutively, unless there are no other candidates for the post. |
| 5.4 | Working parties will be set up to conduct work on the issues voted for at full youth council meetings. A working party consists of a smaller number of councillors dedicated to a project; councillors may belong to multiple working parties. These groups can meet as often as they see fit, but must produce a report every full council meeting to be discussed in the council. |
| 5.5 | Constituents represented by youth councillors and invited members of the public may attend any full meeting of SAYC but are not permitted to speak unless invited to do so by the Chair. |
| 6. | Voting |
| 6.1 | For any decision to be taken at Full Youth Council there must be one third of the total membership present or twelve members, whichever is the fewer. |
| 6.2 | For minor decisions a show of hands will be sufficient. |
| 6.3 | For major decisions and the election of officers a secret ballot will take place. In the event of a dispute the Chair will decide what is a major/minor decision. |
| 6.4 | The presiding Chair may vote on any matter and in the case of an equality of votes may cast a further deciding vote. |
| 6.5 | Working parties will be responsible for their own decision-making processes. |
| 6.6 | On a show of hands, the Vice-Chair will count. On a secret ballot, the count will be undertaken or monitored by an impartial party, i.e. an adult Youth Worker or the Youth Council Support Officer. |
| 6.7 | If a member fails to attend a meeting, he/she will forfeit his/her right to vote at that meeting. |
| 7. | Payments |
| 7.1 | SAYC will reimburse councillors for "reasonable" expenses caused by the workings of SAYC from their council budget. |
| 7.2 | Larger payments should be made by cheque with petty cash available for smaller items. Receipts must be produced for payments made by cash. |
| 7.3 | Cheques must be signed by the Youth Council Support Officer and the Treasurer to be valid until further signatories are added to the bank account, after which cheques must be signed by the Youth Council Support Officer, the Treasurer and one other eligible Youth Councillor. |
| 7.4 | Persons working for SAYC will be paid at a pre-arranged rate; this rate can only be changed if at the discretion of the SAYC. |
| 7.5 | Persons under 16 years should not receive cash but tokens of their choice to the agreed amount. |
| 8. | Duties |
| 8.1 | Chair - elected every AGM and may stand for two consecutive terms. Prior to each meeting the Chair will receive items for the agenda, set the agenda, and ensure that it is followed. |
| 8.2 | Vice Chair - elected every year. To support the Chair in all their duties and to stand in when the Chair is absent. To count all votes, including secret ballots, assisted by the Youth Support Officer/Youth Worker when appropriate. |
| 8.3 |
Treasurer - elected annually. The Treasurer will be responsible to SAYC and the St Albans City and District Council (finance department) for the keeping of the accounts for SAYC and to present a monthly report at each full Youth Council meeting. |
| 8.4 | Secretary - elected annually. The Secretary is responsible for producing minutes and agendas proposed by the Chair. |
| 8.5 | Youth Forum Liaison - elected annually. There are usually two liaison officers. Their duties are to chair the Youth Forums and to report to both the SAYC and the Forum. |
| 8.6 | Social Secretary - elected annually. The Social Secretary is responsible for arranging social events for the councillors. |
| 8.7 | Music Liaison - elected annually. The Music Liaison Officer is responsible for the development of live music and recording opportunities for the young people within St. Albans and District. |
| 8.8 | Technical Officer - elected annually. The Technical Officer oversees the operation and editing of the SAYC website and provides technical support. |
| 9. | Annual General Meeting |
| 9.1 | There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Council held in January each year, date to be decided. |
| 9.2 | Business to be conducted |
| 9.3 | The following minimum of items must be conducted at each such meeting in the order defined. |
| i | To elect a Chairman, if possible, for the forthcoming term |
| ii | To receive apologies for absence |
| iii | To deal with matters arising from the Minutes not covered in the agenda |
| iv | To receive the treasurer's report and audited accounts for the previous year to 31st March |
| v | To elect as many other officers as possible for the relevant term of office: |
| vi | Vice Chairman |
| vii | Treasurer |
| viii | Secretary |
| ix | Youth Forum Liaison Officers* |
| x | Social Secretary* |
| xi | Newsletter Editor* |
| xii | Music Liaison* |
| xiii | To appoint qualified persons to audit Council finances |
| xiv | To invite Members to report on projects and events |
| xv | In addition it will be expected to suspend standing orders and invite members of the public to speak |
| 10. | Alterations to the Constitution |
| 10.1 | The constitution may be changed every 6 months if agreed at a full youth council meeting. |
| 10.2 | The council must accept the changes to the constitution through a majority vote. |
| 11. | Dissolution |
| 11.1 | No members are entitled to a pay-off of any kind. |
| 11.2 | A copy of all records will be handed to our Youth Council Support Officer in order to be filed for future reference. |
| 11.3 | All money remaining in the account will be transferred back to St. Albans City and District Council, or to a charity chosen by SAYC. |