BYLAWS of Men of God Christian Fraternity, Inc. Chapter at (University)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "BYLAWS of Men of God Christian Fraternity, Inc. Chapter at (University)"

Shon Long
5 years ago
Views:

1 BYLAWS of Men of God Christian Fraternity, Inc. Chapter at (University) These bylaws of the Chapter ( Chapter ) at (the University or College ) pursuant to and under the national Christian fraternity Men of God Christian Fraternity, Inc ( M.O.G. ), hereunder establishes these Bylaws as of the official Chapter commissioning date on The Bylaws hereunder shall govern all day to day operations of the Chapter and is superseded, in its entirety, by the national constitution and bylaws of M.O.G. Article I. Name The name of this Chapter of the national Christian fraternity Men of God Christian Fraternity, Inc. located at the University shall be referred to as the Chapter. Article II. Purpose/Philosophy The purposes and activities of the Chapter shall be lawful and not in conflict with the policies, rules, regulations, laws of the state of or federal laws, the University, and standards of M.O.G. The Chapter serves a specific purpose of encouraging each other and others to serve God through leadership, fellowship, discipleship, servant-hood, and evangelism. Article III. Membership Requirements A Potential member is a male having shown legitimate interest in joining the organization and fulfilling the requirements necessary for being part of the organization, who exhibits the characteristics of a man of God, who desires to have a relationship with Christ, and who desires to be an example and leader in his community. Furthermore, potential members must be a fulltime student at the University. All males must adhere to the national policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and standards set forth in the national constitution and bylaws of M.O.G. as well as the policies, procedures, rules, regulations and standards set forth by the University and the State of Pennsylvania. Membership is restricted, in accordance with provisions under the Title IX exemption for social fraternities as defined by the Department of Education and 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, to males adhering to the policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and standards set forth in the legislation of M.O.G. Official membership will be determined, ultimately by the Chapter executive board with consideration from the intake captain in compliance with the policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and standards established in the M.O.G. constitution and other governing laws. Membership may be restricted to persons not fulfilling or living up to the requirements set forth by M.O.G. and/or the Chapter. Membership is restricted and will not be given to persons who are actively participating in secular organizations (including but not limited to the Divine Nine organizations Page 1 of 8

2 and/or Masons). It is expressly prohibited for members of M.O.G. to join such organizations while being an active member of this fraternity. M.O.G. only allows dual membership in other organizations such as career specific, service or charitable organizations upon approval from the national leadership of the fraternity. Consequences as to this matter will result in revoking of membership and removal of all privileges of active membership as determined by the national board. Those persons whom have previously been involved in other secular organizations may become part of the body of M.O.G. only after officially relinquishing their membership in that organization. Inactive Membership - An inactive member is one who: o Misses more than two meetings per semester o Is not current on his dues paid to the organization o Presents himself in a conduct unbecoming of God and this organization. o Falls below the required GPA - An inactive member is not permitted to: Vote, dictate the happenings of the Chapter, or wear his paraphernalia identifying and/or representing the organization until the Chapter executive board approves such activities. Article IV. Membership/Intake All potential members of the Benaiah Chapter of M.O.G. must go through the following intake process to become members of the organization. - An Intake Captain(s) will be selected from among current members of the Chapter - Potential members will attend an interest meeting to learn more about the Chapter and the national organization - Potential members seeking to continue the process will submit an application provided by the Intake Captain - Eligible potential members will be interviewed by a committee made up of a combination of current members, advisors and national officers - Eligible potential members will be evaluated independently to determine if their life-style matches the responses given during the interview process. This independent evaluation can last from approximately one (1) week to one (1) semester. During the evaluation process current members will observe the potential member s interaction in the community (i.e. school, with friends, church, other organizations, education). The evaluation period may include, but is not limited to: o Speaking with professors o Speaking with pastor o Speaking with friends o Evaluation of social media activity o Open evaluation and recording of day-to-day lifestyle Each potential member must provide approval for such evaluation during the interview process. No stalking and/or hazing of any kind shall be permitted. This process is simply Page 2 of 8

3 for evaluation purposes and to aid in the decision making process for acceptance into the organization based upon M.O.G. s requirements, policies and legislation. - Eligible potential members accepted to proceed in the process will be asked to go through a minimum 4-week intake process where they will discover more detailed information about the organization through various non-hazing activities. - Eligible potential members who successfully complete the process will be commissioned as official members of M.O.G. with all rights and privileges. Dues - Dues are required as part of membership in the Fraternity. Minimum dues are determined by the board of directors and shall be collected by all members of the organization. Members who fail to turn in dues as required will be placed on probation until dues are paid in full. - Eligible potential members are required to pay a $100 fee that will be considered your intake process fee. This fee will be used to supply the necessary tools and information to complete the process. Your (pledge process fee) must be paid before you can begin the process. Once you have completed the process you will be required to pay your $50 chapter dues. At the beginning of the following semester you will be required to start paying your national dues ($50) in addition to your chapter dues ($50). Example: New Pledge: $100 intake process fee (due before process begins) + $50 chapter dues upon completion of process. Proceeding semester: $50 chapter dues + $50 national dues Dues are used to accomplish the tasks and objectives of the organization. Local chapter dues will be $50 per semester. National dues are $50 per semester. Grade Point Average Active members of the organization must, at all times, maintain an overall GPA of 2.5. Members are required to turn in a copy of their transcript at the beginning of each and every semester. Those failing to meet the minimum GPA requirement will be considered on probation until their GPA is brought up to the required level. Article V. Meetings The Chapters is granted authority to meet as necessary to conduct fraternal business, but is required to meet at least once per week at a time to be determined by the executive board of the Chapter. The Chapter must notify the national office of their meeting time, location, and purpose. Order of Meeting The order of meeting shall be set by the executive board of the Chapter currently in place. Each and every meeting should be conducted in the following manner: 1. Each meeting should start with prayer, 2. A brief message to be given by a designated member for that particular meeting Page 3 of 8

4 3. After which the night s business should be discussed. Meetings shall follow and be conducted under Roberts Rules of Order. Quorum At least two-thirds (66%) of the current active members is required for a quorum. Sessions M.O.G. will be in session for one year at a time, running from September to August. Article VI. Member Operations Commissioned members shall be known as Ambassadors and are required to do the following: - Maintain a 2.5 GPA at all times - Attend all meetings and participate in all activities required by the national office and facilitated by the Chapter - Carry themselves as Men of God - Carry a version of the bible at all times - Fulfill duties of elected chapter offices if selected - All members must participate in at least 10 hours of community service per semester. All community service should be recorded and approved by the president of the Chapter at the time. - Follow all other duties as deemed necessary by the chapter executive board and/or national Board of Directors - Each chapter must maintain a permanent mailing address or post office box. This address shall be communicated to the national office through the chapter directory and report submitted annually. Article VII. Governing Authority All power in M.O.G. is vested in the Board of Directors at the national level and the chapter officers at the local chapter or entity level. The national governing body (Board of Directors) has the overriding authority over all entities falling under the M.O.G. umbrella. The local Chapter executive board reserves the right to provide laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures as they see fit to govern their local Chapter. Major decisions affecting the Chapter will be voted on and approved by a majority vote of the Chapter executive board. The president of the M.O.G. Board of Directors may exercise his reserved authority to overrule any decisions affecting M.O.G. The president at the local entity level may exercise his reserved limited authority to overrule any decisions made by the Chapter executive board which solely affect his local entity. Positions A Chapter executive board shall act as the decision making body of the Chapter. The Chapter executive board shall mirror in function the officer positions at the national level and respectively establish Chapter committees/boards to accomplish the objectives of the Chapter. The officer positions for the Chapter shall be as follows: - President Page 4 of 8

5 - Vice President - Program Director - Communications Director - Financial Director - Recording Secretary (Admin Asst.) - Historical Secretary (Historian) - Training and Development (Parliamentarian) - Chaplin (Everyone) - Intake Captain (Pledge Captain) Terms Members of the Chapter executive board shall serve one (1) year terms. Officer Removal A member of the Chapter executive board may be voted out of a position on the chapter s board only by a majority vote of the remaining board members or removed by the Chapter President for reasons deemed necessary by the board and/or President in accordance with the rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and/or spirit of M.O.G. and/or the Chapter or entity. Committees Committees shall be formed and appointed at the discretion of the Chapter executive board at the chapter or entity level and formed as needed to oversee and facilitate any M.O.G. or Chapter/entity task or objective. Committees shall be comprised of active, current members. Officer Eligibility A. A Chapter officer must be a full time student at the University with at least 12 hours prior to term. B. The President must have been in the fraternity two semesters prior to being elected or have held a previous office. C. The elected President and Vice President will appoint other officers. D. All Chapter officers are required to attend all meetings, ministries, and engagements E. Chapter officers must be in good academic standing with the University. (2.5 GPA) F. Non-students are not eligible to hold Chapter offices. G. Eligibility is available for all members who meet the requirements found in this section and any other requirements determined by the M.O.G. Board of Directors. Members of affiliated entities, other than institutional chapters, who operate under the M.O.G. umbrella shall not be eligible for election as Chapter officers. H. A Chapter officer must be an active member. Officer Elections & Appointments The Office of the President and Vice-President to the Chapter executive board or entity operating under the M.O.G. umbrella shall come by way of a majority vote of the active members currently in the Chapter. The remaining offices to the Chapter executive board shall be appointed by the elected Chapter President and Vice-President Page 5 of 8

6 Current members may apply for appointment to all open positions providing detailed information as to why they are the best candidate for the position All Elected and appointed Chapter executive board members shall serve one (1) year terms, but are eligible for re-election. There is no limit as to the number of terms a Chapter executive board member may serve. Active, current members of the Chapter will nominate persons for the officer positions of Chapter President and Vice-President prior to the last Friday in April. Elections will be held the last Friday in April. Elections are held at this time to allow fraternity elections to coincide with the University academic calendar. Elections can be held by visual or secret ballot depending on majority consensus of Chapter members. Newly elected officers will take effect May 15 th of that same year and run through the next year s elections. The Chapter will be in session for one year at a time, running from September to August. Newly elected officers will start their term on May 15th. If any member of the Chapter executive board cannot fulfill his term, the position shall be filled by an interim officer, appointed by the current Chapter executive board until the next upcoming election. All outgoing active members of a Chapter shall have an outright duly counted vote in the newly elected officer positions of the Chapter. Article VIII. Amendments to Chapter Bylaws Amendments to the Chapter Bylaws shall only be made and effective only by majority vote of the active Chapter members at the time of the vote and subsequent approval by the national office of M.O.G. Checks and Balances In order to prevent any one person or the executive board of the Chapter from handing down legislation or policies that are not in the best interest of the Chapter, graduate alumni members in active status with M.O.G. may elect a Chapter review committee comprised of Chapter graduate alumni members to review the actions in question. The Chapter Executive Board must be notified before such a review committee is formed. A formal proposal discussing the issue in question must be presented in writing to the Chapter Executive Board with a copy provided to the member(s) in question. Article IX. Policies Hazing The Chapter of M.O.G. shall not haze or participate in any hazing of any person or member, at any time, as part of the intake process or during ongoing business of the Chapter. Page 6 of 8

7 Discrimination The Chapter of M.O.G. shall not discriminate against an individual based upon religion, sex or gender. However, eligible potential members must comply with the beliefs, purpose, vision, rules, guidelines and standards of M.O.G. and must comply with the foregoing at all times during the duration of their membership in M.O.G. Privacy The Chapter of M.O.G. shall use reasonable effort to protect member and potential member s privacy. Current and potential members must provide consent and shall release M.O.G., including the Chapter, with respect to obtaining access to all information which they deem private before the Chapter or M.O.G. national office may access such information (ex. SS#, tape interviews, etc.) Additional Policies Additional policies may be set forth by the Chapter Executive Board or handed down by the M.O.G. Board of Directors. Article X. Affiliation The Chapter of M.O.G. is not affiliated with any religious denomination and shall not be affiliated with any one particular local church or religious organization. Men of God Christian Fraternity, Inc., including all affiliates and/or chapters, is a proud member of the United Council of Christian Fraternities and Sororities, a unifying entity of Christian fraternities and sororities. Article XI. Advisors Campus Advisor - The Chapter shall have a campus advisor. This advisor may be one in the same with the spiritual advisor. - The campus advisor(s) must be a full-time faculty or staff member employed by the University where the Chapter is physically located. - The campus advisor shall be selected by a majority vote of the Chapter executive board and must be acceptable to the membership of the Chapter. Spiritual Advisor - The Chapter shall have a spiritual advisor. This advisor may be one in the same with the campus advisor. - The spiritual advisor shall be selected by a majority vote of the Chapter executive board and must be acceptable to the membership of the chapter. - The spiritual advisor must be a Pastor or Minister from the local community who is respected and accepted by the Chapter membership. Page 7 of 8

8 Campus Advisor Responsibilities - Shall be responsible for advising on purchases prior to payment of any debt of the Chapter. - Shall advise the officers, staff, & members of the Chapter on any issues relevant to the success of the Chapter. - Shall aid in making all final decisions concerning the Chapter. - Insure that the Chapter follows guidelines of M.O.G. including the organization s policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and standards and abides by all federal, national, state, University and local laws. - Insure that the membership recruitment, intake, and orientation of the Chapter are in accordance with all M.O.G. organizational rules and regulations along with all national, local, state, University and federal laws. - Assist in monitoring authorized financial accounts of the registered Chapter and maintain sufficient awareness of appropriate procedures to access the financial resources. - Serve as a knowledgeable campus, community, and spiritual referral and resource for the Chapter and its officers. Spiritual Advisor Responsibilities - The spiritual advisor shall advise the chapter on issues regarding religion and assist the campus advisor, Chapter executive board, and members in other ways deemed appropriate. - Assist in the spiritual growth of the Chapter members so that the Chapter truly affects the community in which it ministers. - Insure that the Chapter works towards its designated purpose, mission, and vision through effective, front-line ministry in accordance with the M.O.G. constitution. Page 8 of 8

CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CONSTITUTION

CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I- NAME The name of this organization shall be Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, hereafter referred to as Chi Alpha. It will be affiliated with a national