Preamble

We the students of Lewis-Clark State College recognize a need for the College to honor its scholars, and a student desire to contribute in a meaningful way to the enrichment of the Lewis-Clark State College campus and the community.  Therefore, the Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) Ambassador Honor Society is hereby established.   This organization is created to unite service and scholastic honoraries into one effective body.

The name of this organization under which this constitution is formed shall be:

LCSC AMBASSADOR HONOR SOCIETY

Hereafter referred to as "Ambassadors."

This organization shall:

1. Provide recognition to each member for his/her academic excellence and achievements;

2. Provide members, and the College, with the opportunity to render meaningful campus and community service;

3. Provide enrichment opportunities for the members.

Article III   Membership

Section 1. Application for Membership
Students desiring membership in this organization must meet the following criteria:

1. Applicant must have an accumulation of over thirty (30) semester hours of college credit;

2. Applicant must be enrolled for Fall Semester;

3. Applicant must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher;

4. Applicant must express the desire to contribute and participate in the organization's activities; this expression shall be in the form of a brief type-written essay describing why the candidate should be considered for membership in the Ambassador Honor Society.

5. An application form must be submitted during each fall semester, by the deadline stipulation in the invitation letter.

6. Membership dues are required every fall semester, following acceptance.

7. Personalized name badges and a Constitution shall be provided to all members.

8. All members are required to have an e-mail address and an active e-mail account. Electronic mail is, currently, our most reliable means of communication. Students at LCSC are assigned an e-mail account; one must apply for an address to open the account.

9. All Ambassadors shall be required to keep a current, updated and accurate log of all time spent doing Ambassador-related activities.  The log shall include the start and end times, dates and a description of the services or activities performed. This should follow in chronological order. This log shall be maintained to help the Vice-President resolve any discrepancy in hours.

Addendum: Acceptance into the LCSC Ambassador Honor Society is contingent upon approval of the candidate's application materials and essay, and payment of the annual dues.

Section 1a. Extension Campus Membership
LCSC students may join only the Ambassador Honor Society chapter that is present at their campus or their extension campus. If a chapter is not present at that particular campus or extension campus, see Article VI.  All chapters must use the same Constitution; however, all chapter officers are elected locally and write their own chapter by-laws. These by-laws shall not supersede Articles I through VIII expressed in this Constitution.

Section 2. Member Code of Conduct
When representing the Ambassador Honor Society, whether at an event or a meeting, all members shall shall wear their personalized name badges. Clean and appropriate attire is required when representing the Ambassador Honor Society at a public event, at the event chair's discretion. As
representatives of the Ambassador Honor Society and of the college as a whole, all members shall conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner.

Section 3. Termination of Membership
Membership in the LCSC Ambassador Honor Society shall automatically be terminated if a member's accumulated GPA falls below the required 3.0, or if a member is placed on academic or social probation by the College administration. If a former member who has been placed on academic or social probation has that probation lifted by the College administration, then that former member may request permission to rejoin the Ambassador Honor Society. This request must be made in writing to the chapter Advisor(s). The renewal of membership status is left solely to the discretion of the Advisor(s). Furthermore, membership is terminated if a member fails to renew/resubmit an Ambassador application for the following year.

Section 4. Meeting Locations
All Ambassador Honor Society meetings are to be held in wheelchair accessible locations.

Section 5. Transfer Students
Applications for returning students are approved at the beginning of Fall Semester.   Applications for transfer students who meet the remainder of the criteria may be submitted as late as January because they are not in the data base used to identify potential Ambassadors.  Transfer students may submit applications to executive officers at a meeting or may mail them to the Ambassador Honor Society in care of Academic Affairs.  The applications will require an official transcript from colleges previously attended.

1. President
2. Vice President
3. Secretary/Treasurer

Section 2: Duties and Service Hours of Officers
All officers shall receive six volunteer service hours per semester.  Each officer shall remain in office until he or she leaves the college, resigns, or is removed from office. Duties of Officers are outlined below:

Section 2a. President
The President shall preside over all regular, executive and special meetings; represent the Ambassador Honor Society in a professional manner; work closely with the officers and the committee chairs and give guidance; be responsible for communication to other chapters; and provide information to the Secretary at least one week before each meeting for the upcoming agenda. The President shall work with the campus administration in securing a campus bulletin board or a portion of a bulletin board for exclusive Ambassador use; this bulletin board must be available to the Ambassador Honor Society throughout the year. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President.

Section 2b. Vice-President
The Vice-President shall record all events and participants in those events for graduation and/or credit requirements; keep track of all hours earned by Chapter members; and may determine (on a case-by-case basis) which events are to be approved as Ambassador events. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President.

Section 2c. Secretary/Treasurer
The Secretary/Treasurer shall attend all meetings and keep accurate records; provide copies of minutes (including regular, executive, and special) to the Advisors, President, Vice-President, and minutes record book. The Secretary shall reserve rooms and prepare agenda for each upcoming meeting. The Secretary shall post only regular meeting minutes on the designated bulletin board. The Secretary/ Treasurer is responsible for documenting member attendance at each meeting. These hours shall then be submitted to the Vice-President prior to the next regularly scheduled Ambassador's meeting, or in the case of the last meeting of the semester, by the end of that semester.

Section 2d. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President(s), the Vice-President, and the Secretary/Treasurer. This committee shall hold meetings with the organization's advisors throughout the year to outline the activities and agenda items to be presented to the membership for discussion.

Section 3: Advisor(s)
The Advisor(s) shall be selected from the faculty or professional staff by the Office of the Provost. In the event that the Ambassadors recognize a need for either more Advisors or the replacement of an Advisor, a two-thirds majority vote, by the Ambassador membership at a regularly scheduled meeting, is needed to initiate a formal request to the Office of the Provost. The President, Vice-President and the Secretary/Treasurer shall arrange a meeting with the Office of the Provost to make the formal request for change. Advisor's duties shall include education, leadership and liaison. The Advisor shall serve until resignation from the post, or by removal by the Office of the Provost.

Section 4. Termination and Removal of Officers
Any officer may be removed from office by resignation or by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership attending a regularly scheduled meeting. All members shall be notified a week in advance that an officer recall vote is to be taken. The Communication Committee Chair shall be responsible for doing this notification. In the event of an officer's termination or removal, a new officer shall be elected for that position as soon as possible.

Section 5. Standing, Annual Event, and Special Events Committees
A Standing Committee is defined as: a committee that exists throughout the full academic year. An Annual Event Committee is defined as: a specific event that happens only once per academic year. A Special Events Committee is defined as: any event that is either 1) not a standing committee, or 2) not an annual event. Each of these committees must have an elected chairperson or persons. Committee chairs shall serve for the duration of the semester. If the committee will be needed during the following semester, the chairs may retain their posts for that next semester or may relinquish their duties.

Section 6. Chairperson: Definition and Responsibilities
A Committee Chair or Chairperson is defined as: a person elected to serve as a coordinator for a specific event or function. All chairpersons must give a status report to the chapter Secretary either in writing or by e-mail at least one week prior to every scheduled Ambassador Honor Society meeting. A status report should include a summary of the most recent past events, if applicable: Was the event a success? Did the members do their designated jobs and fulfill their commitments? Are there any concerns that need to be addressed next time? The status report should also list upcoming activities, if applicable: Is the event planned? Are more volunteers needed? What else needs to be done to plan a successful event? This report should be viewed as a formal communication from the Chairperson to the Executive Committee and thus should contain the Chair's concerns and questions about a particular event or about the committee itself. Each Chairperson is responsible for reporting the members' hours, to the Vice President, for all Ambassador activities within two weeks of the event or within two weeks of the time the hours were earned. Each Chair shall be awarded six semester service hours each semester they serve as a Chair. It is the responsibility of the chairpersons to maintain close communication with the Ambassadors participating in their committee's event or functions. All Chairs shall post on the Ambassador Honor Society bulletin board any information relevant to to their committee members.

Section 6a. Failure of Chairperson to Fulfill Obligations
If in the unlikely event a committee Chairperson has failed to fulfill his or her duties and obligations as a committee Chair, the Executive Committee has the authority to relieve (at their discretion) the Chair of his or her duties. If after consultation with that committee Chair, the Executive Committee deems the Chair has not fulfilled his or her duties, they may vote for chair removal. For a Chair to be relieved of duty, the Executive Committee must have unanimous consent in voting. The Executive Committee has, at its discretion, the ability to deny the Chair his or her six Chairperson- hours for that semester in which the Chair failed to fulfill his or her duties. The Executive Committee shall not be able to remove a committee Chair after the semester in which the committee Chair has served is over and the final hours for the semester have been tallied and approved by the Vice-President.

Section 6b. Chairperson Assistants
Chairpersons may have Assistants who work with them on events. These Assistants may be awarded volunteer service hours appropriate to their time commitments at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Election Process
All elected positions in each of the Ambassador Honor Society chapters shall be elected by majority vote.

Section 7a. Voting Procedure
Any active Ambassador may vote in an election. In the event of a tie vote, the Executive Committee shall, at their discretion, determine the outcome of the tie.

Section 2a. Scheduled Events
Scheduled events are defined as: those events taking place in or around the community or campus that the executive committee has chosen for that designation. Ambassadors may volunteer at any scheduled event to gain tassel or credit hours.

Section 2b. Non-Scheduled Events
Non-scheduled events are defined as: those events taking place in or around the community or campus that the President or Vice-President has approved for that designation. It is the prerogative of the President or Vice-President only, to determine which events can be approved as non-scheduled events for earning service or credit hours.

Article V Participant Recognition
            Section 2b. Non-Scheduled Events
            Non-scheduled events are defined as:  those events taking place in or around the community or campus that             one of the three officers has approved for that designation.  It is the prerogative of one of the three
            officers, to determine which events can be approved as non-scheduled event for earning service or credit
            hours.

Section 2c. Policy Regarding Non-Scheduled Events
Ambassadors who get special activities approved as non-scheduled events by the President or Vice-President must have their service or credit hours verified by a third party presiding over the event. This verification must be offered in writing to the Vice-President no later than two weeks from the date on which that event occurred, or by the end of the semester, which ever comes first.

Section 2c. Policy Regarding Non-Scheduled Events
            Ambassadors who get special activities approved as non-scheduled events by one of the three officers
            must have their service or credit hours verified by a third party presiding over the event.  This verification
            must be offered in writing to the Vice-President no later than two weeks from the date on which that event
            occurred, or by the end of the semester, which ever comes first.

Section 3. Student Development Credit
Ambassadors may earn credit hours for a student development practicum entitled "SD280, Section 01 - Ambassador Honor Society." The purpose of this practicum is to develop, within those participating in the Ambassador Honor Society, stronger skills in the following areas: 1) Leadership, 2) Communication, 3) Initiative, 4) Cooperative Learning, and 5) Cooperative Task Accomplishment. There are certain expectations and responsibilities that are asked of Ambassadors as they fulfill required service hours. These include honoring commitments for services and conducting oneself always in a professional manner.

Section 3a. Requirements for Student Development Credit
Ambassadors can earn from one to three hours of Student Development credit, graded on a pass/fail basis, for performing additional hours. Service hours, or credit hours, are hours volunteered at or for designated campus and community events. Hours for which one is being paid, volunteering for another organization, or for which one receives college credit (other than Ambassador Honor Society credit) cannot be counted as service or credit hours. Ambassadors may count Ambassador Honor Society meeting times and all hours spent related to Ambassador Honor Society activities. An Ambassador must volunteer forty-five hours for each credit earned. All hours shall be submitted to the Vice-President. Ambassadors wanting to earn credit shall maintain a weekly log of hours earned, to be submitted to either the Staff Advisor or the Faculty Advisor. This log shall include the start and end times, dates, and a description of the service or activities performed. All hours for student development credit shall be submitted by the end of each semester and a current application form must be on file. Because the Ambassador Honor Society provides services for campus and community events that depend on these services, it is crucial that a commitment to participate is honored. If one cannot fulfill a commitment, it is the responsibility of that person to find a substitute Ambassador. Any Executive Committee Member, Liaison Committee Member, or Advisor for the organization can explain in more detail how these hours may be earned. As prerequisite for the course, 25 hours (of the 45 hour total) must be completed prior to enrollment. Hours earned for credit must be earned during one academic calendar year. The course may be taken only during spring semester. Ambassadors at the LCSC Extension campuses shall submit logs to the Chapter Liaison Ambassador or the Liaison Vice-President. To enroll for these credits, an Ambassador must have approval and a signature of either the Staff Advisor or the Faculty Advisor, prior to registration; in Coeur d'Alene, the signature of the Coeur d'Alene Faculty Advisor is required.

Section 3b. Incomplete Policy for SD280, Section 01
An incomplete can be granted only if 75% of the hours are fulfilled (34 hours per credit) and if there is a documented family or medical emergency.

Section 3c. Disability Accommodation
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you have emergency medical information that needs to be known, please consult with either the Staff Advisor or the Faculty Advisor.

Section 3a. Liaison President
The Liaison President shall preside over all regular and special meetings; represent the Ambassador Honor Society in a professional manner; serve as a liaison between the Chapter members, the Advisor(s) and the Executive Committee; work closely with officers and committee chairs and give guidance; request assistance from Advisor(s) and the Executive Committee as needed; provide information to the Liaison Secretary at least one week before meetings for the upcoming agenda; and make formal funding requests from the Lewiston Chapter President. The Liaison President shall work with the extension campus administration in securing a campus bulletin board or a portion of a bulletin board for exclusive Ambassador use; this bulletin board must be available to the Ambassadors throughout the year. In the absence of the Liaison President, the Liaison Vice-President shall assume the duties of the Liaison President.

Section 3b. Liaison Vice-President
The Liaison Vice-President shall record all events and participants in those events for graduation tassel and/or credit requirements; keep track of all hours earned by Chapter members; and may determine (on a case-by-case basis) which events on their campus or in their community are to be approved as Ambassador events. The Liaison Vice-President shall turn these hours in to the Lewiston Chapter Vice-President no later than the last day of each semester. In the absence of the Liaison President, the Liaison Vice-President shall assume the duties of the Liaison President.

Section 3c. Liaison Secretary
The Liaison Secretary shall attend all meetings and keep accurate records; shall provide copies of minutes (including regular and special) to the Chapter Advisor(s), Liaison President, Liaison Vice-President, the Lewiston Chapter Secretary, the Chapter minutes record book and the Chapter bulletin board; after consultation with the Liaison President, reserve a room and prepare agenda for upcoming meetings. The Liaison Secretary shall be responsible for documenting member attendance at each meeting. These hours are to be submitted to the Liaison Vice-President prior to the next regularly scheduled Ambassador meeting, or in the case of the last meeting, by the end of the semester.

Section 4. Chapter Liaison Advisor(s)
The Chapter Liaison Advisor(s) shall be selected from the faculty or professional staff by the Office of the Provost. In the event that the Ambassadors recognize a need for either more Advisors or the replacement of an Advisor, a two-thirds majority vote, by the Ambassador Honor Society membership at a regularly scheduled meeting, is needed to initiate a formal request to the Office of the Provost. The Liaison President, Liaison Vice-President and the Liaison Secretary/Treasurer shall arrange a meeting with the Office of the Provost to make the formal request for change. Advisor's duties shall include education, leadership and liaison. The Advisor(s) shall serve until resignation from the post, or by removal by the Office of the Provost.

Section 5. Termination and Removal of Liaison Officers
Any liaison officer may be removed from office by resignation or by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership attending a regularly scheduled meeting. All members shall be notified a week in advance that an officer recall vote is to be taken. The Communication Committee Chair shall be responsible for doing this notification. In the event of an officer's termination or removal, a new officer must be elected for that position as soon as possible.

Section 6. Standing, Annual Event, and Special Events Committee for the Chapter
See Article IV, Section 5, and Article VII, Section 1. Extension campuses shall be responsible for the duties of the Standing Committees described herein.

Section 7. Chapter Chairpersons: Definitions and Responsibilities
See Article IV, Section 6.

Section 7a. Failure of a Chapter Chairperson to Fulfill Obligations
If in the unlikely event a committee Chairperson has failed to fulfill his or her duties and obligations as a committee Chair, the Liaison Committee has the authority to relieve (at their discretion) the Chair of his or her duties. If after consultation with that committee Chair, the Liaison Committee deems the Chair has not fulfilled his or her duties, they may vote for chair removal. For a Chair to be relieved of duty, the Liaison Committee must have unanimous consent in voting. The Liaison Committee has at its discretion, the ability to deny the Chair his or her six Chairperson-hours for that semester in which the Chair failed to fulfill his or her duties. The Liaison Committee shall not be able to remove a committee Chair after the semester in which the committee Chair has served is over and the final hours for the semester have been tallied and approved by the Liaison Vice-President.

Section 8. Chairperson Assistants
Liaison Chairpersons may have Assistants who work with them on events.
These Assistants may be awarded volunteer service hours appropriate to
their time commitments at the discretion of the Liaison Committee.

Section 1a. Public Information
This committee shall submit informational articles to the campus/extension campus newspaper and city/regional newspapers about the LCSC Ambassador Honor Society throughout the semester. At the start of every semester, an informational article must be written to the aforementioned newspapers, explaining who the Ambassadors are, what they do, and the membership requirements. This article is meant to explain the organization and attract potential members. Subsequent articles are to provide greater campus visibility for the Ambassador Honor Society membership and organization. This committee requires one chairperson.

Section 1b. Communication Committee
This committee shall contact all Ambassadors by electronic mail and/or telephone to inform them of upcoming meetings, events and any other item which the Advisor(s), Executive Committee, or the Liaison Committee wish to be passed on to the general membership of the Ambassadors. This committee requires one chairperson.

Section 1c. Bulletin Board/Flier Committee
This committee shall place flyers and/or posters on all allowable campus bulletin boards and other allowable posting areas. These flyers and/or posters must be posted at least two weeks before the upcoming meeting/event, and outdated flyers/posters must be removed no later than one week after the meeting/event has occurred. This committee shall also be responsible for decorating and maintaining the campus Ambassador bulletin board on a monthly basis. This committee requires one chairperson.

Section 1d. T-Shirts and Badges Committee
This committee shall solicit orders for Ambassador Honor Society badges and t-shirts, collect the money for them, see that an order is placed and that the items are paid for; this committee shall also distributes ordered items to members. (Note: All Ambassadors are required to purchase a name badge through the Lewiston chapter.) This committee requires one chairperson.

Article VII Standing Committees

            Section 1d.  T-Shirts Committee
            This committee shall solicit orders for Ambassador Honor Society t-shirts, collect the money for them, see
             that an order is placed and that the items are paid for; this committee shall also distribute ordered items to
             members. This committee requires one chair person.

Section 1a. Proposal
Amendments to the Constitution shall be proposed by a two-thirds majority vote at any regularly scheduled meeting or by a petition signed by one-quarter of the total membership.

Section 1b. Announcement of Constitutional Change
An announcement of the proposed provisions shall be sent to all members by e-mail three weeks before the designated election; copies of the proposed changes shall be made available on the bulletin board, in the Advisor(s) office(s), and on reserve in the library.

Article VIII General Information on Amendments and By-laws

            Section 1b. Announcement of Constitutional Change
           An announcement of the proposed provisions shall be sent to all members by e-mail three
           weeks before the designated election; copies of the proposed changes shall be made available
           on the bulletin board, in the Advisor(s) office(s), and on the Ambassador website.

Section 1c. Voting Procedure
Amendments to the Constitution shall be placed on the ballot of a special election and shall be ratified by a majority of the votes cast in that election. All extension campus members shall vote in person or by absentee ballot. Any active Ambassador may vote in an election. In the event of a tie vote, the Executive Committee shall, at their discretion, determine the outcome of the tie.

Section 2. By-Laws
Bylaws are laws that are chapter-specific and do not amend the body of the Constitution, as the constitution stands alone as a document. No by-law may supersede any precedent set forth in this Constitution.

Any Chapter may write its own by-laws, but all propositions for by-laws shall be presented to the Executive Committee (in the case of the Lewiston campus chapter) or the chapter's Liaison Committee before being introduced to the general assembly of Ambassadors. After being presented to that Chapter's Committee, a proposed by-law shall be placed on the agenda for the next two regularly scheduled Ambassador meetings. All merits and demerits, of a proposed by-law, shall be discussed in an open forum at any two separate Ambassador meetings, after which time it shall be voted on. Any tie shall be decided by the Chapter's Advisor(s).

* * * *Heretofore concludes the Constitution of the LCSC Ambassador Honor Society* * * *

Section 1a. International Exchange Conference (I.E.C.)
Committee (Fall Semester only) This committee shall provide assistance for the I.E.C., including but not limited to: ushering, registration and presentation set-up/take-down. The committee shall work closely with the I.E.C. Coordinator on the LCSC campus. This committee requires one chairperson and at least two other assistants, each of which receive six volunteer service hours for the fall semester.

Article IX Lewiston Chapter By-laws

            Section 1a. Special Events Committees  

I propose to eliminate Section 1a. International Exchange (I.E.C.) because it no longer exists. I propose to add the Health Fair Committee.
Due to the chronological organization of Article IX, Section 1, the Special Events Committees will be renumbered in which case: 

            Section 1b. Health Fair Committee (Spring Semester Only)
     This committee shall work closely with Student Health Services.  The responsibilities include but
     are not limited to:  corresponding with Student Health Services regularly, ascertaining any   
     assistance needed for the Health Fair, and identifying Ambassadors to help with the event. 
     One committee chairperson is needed and this chairperson will receive six volunteer service hours
     for the semester.

Section 1b. Lewis-Clark Center for Arts and History Committee (Fall and Spring Semester) This committee shall work closely with the Lewis-Clark Center for Arts and History Director. The responsibilities include but are not limited to: ascertaining any assistance needed for Arts and History Center events and identifying Ambassadors to help with these events. The committee shall provide refreshments (if allowed by the Arts and History Center) to make profits for the Ambassador Honor Society, and shall provide ushering and monitoring as needed for events scheduled by the Arts and History Center. One committee chairperson is needed and this chairperson will receive six volunteer service hours for the semester.

Section 1c. Dogwood Festival Committee (Spring Semester only)
This committee shall reserve an Ambassador food booth for the Dogwood Festival to sell food items to support the organization and to provide scholarships for members. This committee shall set up and take down the food booth and make any necessary preparations for the smooth operation of this fund raiser. This committee requires one chairperson and at least one assistant; each will receive six volunteer service hours for
the spring semester.

Section 1d. Graduation Awards/Party Committee (Spring Semester only)
This committee honors graduating seniors at an evening party and awards graduates with tassels and a certificate of Ambassador membership. This committee also announces scholarship recipients, determines what food items are needed and organizes the activities for this event. This committee requires one chairperson. This committee chair shall receive six volunteer service hours for the spring semester.

Section 1e. Commencement Ceremonies Committee (Spring Semester only)
This committee shall work under the direction of the LCSC faculty person who organizes the LCSC Commencement Ceremony in carrying out the commencement ceremony and the rehearsal for this ceremony. This includes handing out honors colors at the rehearsal and serving as ushers and flag bearers for the ceremony itself. One Chairperson is required. This committee chair shall receive six volunteer service hours for the spring semester.

Section 2. Ambassador Scholar Awards
Money earned by Ambassadors at the Dogwood Festival and at the Center for Arts and History events shall be pooled to make a scholar award fund. The number of scholar awards and amount of the awards shall be determined by the chapter Advisors(s), provided the total amount of the awards does not exceed the amount of money available. Criteria for these scholar awards are to be determined by the Chapter Advisor(s). All Ambassadors in good standing in our local chapter may apply for these awards.