BROWARD COUNTY ASSOCIATION
OF
STUDENT COUNCILS

1. What is the Broward County Association of Student Councils?

The BCASC is an association of Broward High and Middle School Student Councils and Student Government Associations. Membership is open to all public and private high and middle schools in Broward County , Florida .

2. What is the purpose of BCASC?

In addition to providing interesting and topical speakers and workshops at its monthly meetings, the BCASC:

•  Represent the collective student body of Broward County 's high and middle schools to the School Board of Broward County, Florida

•  Promote harmonious relations between the schools in Broward County .

•  Provide opportunities to render collective service to our community and to attempt to solve problems which, impact students collectively.

•  Advise on the program content of the Broward Leaders Conference at Nova Southeastern University .

•  Represent Broward high school students to the school board.

•  Coordinate and sponsor major community service projects.

•  Provide annual BCASC scholarships.

•  Provide annual project competition and awards for member schools.

•  Provide a forum for a discussion of common problems at least once a month.

•  Elect the Student Advisor to the School Board.

•  Select students to serve on various School Board Committees.

3. When and where does the BCASC meet?

  The BCASC meets once a month. The site of the meeting moves from school to school but an effort is made to select an equal number of meeting sites from each of the BCASC areas; North, Central and South.

4. In which BCASC area is my school located?

  All schools located north of Commercial Boulevard are considered North Area, those south of Griffin Road are South Area, and of course those between those two roads are considered Central Area.

5. Who are the officers, what are the qualifications, and when are they elected?

The officers are President, High School Vice-president, Middle School Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian.

Any member school in good standing may seek office. All that is necessary is a letter from a school principal allowing the school to run. The principal of a school seeking the Presidency must agree to allow that school's sponsor to attend each BCASC meeting.

Elections for the school year are usually held at the annual convention in May. For complete information see the BCASC constitution.

6. What are the duties of the officers?

The duties are generally defined in the constitution.

7. How many students can attend a BCASC meeting?

There is no limit to the number of students who may attend from any given school, however the usual delegation to a meeting is five students. Each school should make sure that at least one student in its delegation attends every BCASC meeting so that there will be some continuity from meeting to meeting.

8. Must the advisor attend BCASC meetings?

It is a good idea for an advisor to attend every BCASC meeting. This allows you to insure the arrival, behavior and safety of your school's delegation. If you decide to attend you must fill out a T.D.A. and submit it to your principal. Usually you may put all of the meeting days on a single T.D. A.

9. Is there a list of some of the countywide activities that have been sponsored by the BCASC?

Yes, it is published after the annual BCASC Convention and appears elsewhere in this guide

10. How do I get students excused to attend?

  The policy may differ slightly from school to school, but in general you have students fill out field trip permission forms.

11. Are there any dues and when are they due?

Yes, $100.00 for high schools ($80.00 of which is for BCASC Scholarships) and $20.00 for middle schools. Checks should be made payable to the BCASC in care of the BCASC treasurer school. The BCASC dues are due on November 1, of the current school year.

12. Is there a membership application?

Yes, the current membership application appears in this guide and your school's bookkeeper will need a copy of the application in order to cut the check for your BCASC dues.

13. Who is the Student Advisor to the School Board, when and how is he/she elected?

The Student Advisor to the School Board is a student who will be elected by the BCASC at the March meeting (one vote per member school) to be the voice of students to the School Board of Broward County, Florida. The student who receives the second highest number of votes will become the alternate Student Advisor. The Student Advisor must attend all School Board meetings and the monthly BCASC meeting. The Student Advisor may not vote at Board meetings and is obligated to report the actions of the Board to the BCASC.

Each school may nominate only one student for this position, a complete description and application form appears later in this book.

14. Does the BCASC sponsor any leadership development workshops or retreats?

Yes. The BCASC and the School Board co-sponsor Broward Student Leaders Conference usually held at Nova Southeastern University . This event usually takes place in March or April (the date is dictated by NSU's Spring Break) and each school in the county is invited to send 12 underclass students. The program for the Broward Student Leaders Conference usually features a well-known motivational speaker and a series of workshops. Lunch is provided. There is no charge for students to attend, however all student delegates must come via school bus. Transportation is usually arranged through the area offices. You should receive a complete packet of information at the beginning of the second semester.

The BCASC also sponsors the Middle School Leadership Workshop. The Middle School Leadership Workshop is a one-day retreat for middle school student leaders, usually held in September, at a local county park. There is a small registration fee which covers lunch, materials and a T-shirt. High school volunteers conduct the workshops for the middle school students.

15. Are there any County guidelines for the election of student government officers?

Yes, these guidelines appear in this guide.

16. Is there a job description for High School Student Advisors?

Yes, the job description for SGA advisors was approved by the Board on September 4, 1990 , and appears in this guide.

17. Is there an official BCASC Logo?

Yes, it appears as the opening page of this file. There are no BCASC shirts or jewelry.