Lexington (MA) High School Senate

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-FACULTY SENATE

2005-2006

Moderator Peter Lubershane, Assistant Moderator Sam Kafrissen, Secretary Peter Kim

Minutes from Meeting: 11-2-05

I. Call to Order: Meeting is called to order at 7:50 by Moderator Lubershane

II. Approval of Minutes: 1) Social Action meets on Tuesday not Wednesday.

III. Approval of Agenda: Agenda approved.

IV. Announcements:

1) GSA dance was a huge success.

2) Senators should use First Class. Policy committee will communicate

with Oversight in this manner.

3) Oversight meets on Wednesday at 6:15AM.

4) Our cross-country team is the league champion.

5) LHS Varsity Soccer won the match against Watertown and is the

Middlesex Champion.

6) We would like to welcome a new senator, Senator Stein. Dr. Jones

will speak briefly today about community service.

V. Open Comments:

1) Posters for Walkout were unjustly removed because it qualified as a

field trip. This should be addressed.

2) Fourth clause in the community service resolution has not been voted on yet.

VI. Committee Reports:

1) Oversight discussed the bills about elections with Policy.

2) Policy committee finished two bills regarding elections.

3) Communications meets Wednesday after school in Rm. 633. There is a

lack of attendance.

4) Dr. Jones has been asked to speak today.

VII. Community Service

1) Dr. Jones: It looks promising and well-drafted. Many problems and

inconsistencies need to be addressed. GPA issue is still being worked

on. I ask that the formed committee be an advisory committee to the

principal because I ultimately need to make the recommendations

regarding community service.

2) Decision to remove hours from the transcript is an administrative concern.

3) The committee should address the problems regarding religious

services and community service.

4) Continued discussion of amendment to add the fourth clause

"Community service committee….appointed by the executive committee" to

the resolution.

a) We should focus more on the resolution today instead of the grammar.

b) Amendment passes.

5) Friendly amendment proposed to change "less" to "fewer" in

resolution clause #4.

a) Amendment passes.

6) Amendment proposed to change "requires desperate reform" to

"desperately requires reform".

a) Amendment passes.

7) We should set up a "time table" so that newly formed committee

checks in regularly with the Senate so that committee doesn't die.

8) Regarding power, Senate can be a big part of this committee.

9) We should change the number of members.

10) Amendment proposed to add "which shall serve as an advisory

committee to the principal" in resolution clause #2.

a) It should be an advisory committee to the Senate. Senate should

advise the principal.

b) The abovementioned proposal would cause more bureaucratic confusion.

c) Committee should report back to Senate. Community service was

initially a Senate jurisdiction.

d) We mustn't cede power to a small number of people.

e) Problem is that we need money if we were to exclude Senate

involvement. We should put in the budget a request to hire someone to

oversee community service.

f) Democracy is inherently a messy process.

g) Amendment proposed to replace "advisory to principal" with

advisory to Senate".

i) Amendment to the amendment passes.

h) Amendment passes.

11) Amendment proposed in resolution #4 to bring "to be appointed by

the executive committee" after "LHS community" and to add "on the

committee" after "number of senators".

12) Amendment passes 23-12.

13) We should get a list of Senate volunteers now.

List of Senators Absent from Senate meeting: *Denotes excused/notified absence.

Chaulet Kalsow-Ramos Pathan Savariano Wilson Collins Ghazarian