Bylaws of the Tau Beta Chapter Of Theta Tau Fraternity

Transcription

1 Bylaws of the Tau Beta Chapter Of Theta Tau Fraternity Amended: February 0. Page of

2 Member s Eyes Only. Page of

3 Article I: Name, Object, and Purpose Section. The name of this organization shall be Tau Beta Chapter of Theta Tau Fraternity. Section. This organization shall operate as a professional engineering fraternity. Section. The purpose of this fraternity is the develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members and to unite them in a strong bond of fraternal fellowship. Page of

4 Article II: On Interpreting These Bylaws Section. No Bylaws, Regulation, or Standard passed by this Chapter may be inconsistent with any part of the Ritual, Constitution, or Bylaws of Theta Tau Fraternity. Section. The Ritual, Constitution, and Bylaws of Theta Tau Fraternity shall prevail over any section of these Bylaws. Section. Should any Bylaw, Regulation, or Standard of Tau Beta Chapter be found to be in conflict with the Ritual, Constitution, or Bylaws of Theta Tau Fraternity, it shall be suspended immediately and referred to the Marshal, who shall present it to a Bylaw Committee. If no such committee exists, the Regent shall appoint one. Section. All local Bylaws should be interpreted in the spirit of the law, not based on the literal wording. When there is a conflict in interpretation, the majority of the members at the meeting should decide on the correct interpretation. Section. Each member, upon joining this fraternity, agrees to obey all parts of these Bylaws. Section. On Voting: a. Amendments to these Bylaws may be adopted by simple majority at the meeting following the one in which they are first proposed in writing, or by two-thirds majority, if a planned change was announced and recorded in the Minutes (but the changes were not distributed in writing) at the prior meeting. The Bylaws may not be changed without prior notice, which must be recorded in the Minutes. b. Majorities shall be calculated by dividing the number of votes in favor by the number of votes cast, unless the vote requires a majority of the entire student membership, in which case all student members in good standing shall be counted instead of the number of votes cast. Unless specifically stated otherwise, votes shall be calculated on the basis of votes versus votes cast. Abstaining from a vote, even while doing so on a ballot, is equivalent to not casting a vote. c. Proxy votes shall be allowed for any roll call, standing, open, or secret ballot vote. The proxy must show written proof that they are authorized to act in such a capacity by the person for whom they are voting. The proxy must vote, to the best of their ability, in the same spirit as the person for whom they are voting, but no proxy vote may be changed after the vote has ended. d. In case of contradictions in the Bylaws, Regulations, and Standards of Tau Beta Chapter (this document), an official decision by a majority of the Executive Officers of the Chapter shall override the contradiction, until such a time that the contradiction can be corrected. In case of a tie among the Executive Officers, the Regent shall make the decision. Page of

5 Article III: Membership Section. Membership in this fraternity shall be limited to engineers at least eighteen years of age who possess the qualities of service, leadership, and brotherhood, as determined by its student members, and who demonstrate a professional attitude beneficial to the organization. A younger student may be pledged and later initiated when the student is eighteen. Section. Student membership in this fraternity shall be limited to students regularly enrolled and pursuing a bachelor s or higher degree in engineering at Southern Methodist University, as given on the Theta Tau approved list of eligible curricula. To be eligible for membership, a student must have the overall grade point average required for graduation. Upon graduation a student member will be classified as an alumnus unless he or she continues in graduate school, in which case he or she may elect to remain a student member. Section. Alumnus membership in this fraternity may be conferred upon a graduate student who is actively practicing his or her profession or teaching in a technical field at Southern Methodist University, has a sincere interest in this fraternity, and is judged by its student members to be of service to it. Section. Election to student membership from alumnus membership is only by unanimous secret ballot. The name of a candidate rejected for membership may be presented again by a student member at any meeting. Section. On Candidates for Student Membership and Voting: a. In order to become a candidate for student membership, a three-fourths (% ± 0.%) majority with a 0.% spread must be met. A potential candidate may be voted on twice at this stage. b. Candidacy for student membership begins when an official invitation to pledge is extended to a potential candidate, as such, any failed votes before this point do not count as failed votes as discussed in Article III, Section e. c. All candidates must pass a second vote no later than the last regularly scheduled meeting of the semester during which they became a candidate and no earlier than six regularly scheduled meetings prior to the last regularly scheduled meeting of the semester. The vote for each candidate must be a nine-tenths (/0) majority. d. A candidate for student membership must receive the required unanimous vote on at least one occasions and no more than ten (0) days before he is admitted to full membership in this fraternity. Page of

6 e. Candidates can have a maximum of three failed votes per pledge cycle after which the candidate shall no longer be considered eligible for membership during the current pledge cycle. Failed votes are any votes where the candidate does not meet or exceed the required number or fraction of positive votes. f. Voting related to student membership candidates shall be anonymous and secret. A paper ballot will be presented to every member in good standing. Ballots shall list every eligible candidate for student membership and be placed in a specified closed container. At least two out of the following positions (Student Member, Marshal, Vice Regent, and Regent) shall participate in the counting and verification of results. The votes shall be counted in the front of the chapter room and released by the Regent no earlier than midnight and no later than noon following the vote. Additional votes, as mentioned in Article III, Section a, shall take place during the following chapter meeting and follow the same procedure. Section. A candidate for student membership must be a pledge of this fraternity for a minimum of eight school weeks before being initiated into full membership. This pledging period shall be a probationary period during which a pledge must discharge such duties as prescribed by the fraternity. No Pledge shall be required to do anything which shall embarrass him or her or which might prove contrary to his or her obligations to God, his or her country, or him- or her- self. Section. The number of student members may not exceed one-hundred (00). Section. A student or pledge may not become a member within six () school months of the completion of his or her academic program. Section. No member of this fraternity (student or alumnus) shall become a member of any local fraternity that is competitive with this fraternity, or any national fraternity that is considered by Theta Tau to be competitive with it. Members of competitive organizations (local or national) shall be ineligible to gain membership in this fraternity. Section 0. Each pledge shall be issued a Pledge Pin and a Membership Manual at the pinning ceremony as required by National Bylaws Chapter II, Part E, Section. If these items are lost, the replacement fee is the respective cost of these items to the chapter, plus two dollars ($.00). Section. If a pledge does not pass the membership ballot as per Article V, Section, of the National Constitution and is not brought up for another vote, the pledge s term will be terminated as per Article II, Section of these bylaws. Section. If a pledge s term is terminated early by either the choice of the initiated members of the chapter or the pledge, the term officially ends either when the pledge relinquishes the Pledge Pin as well as the Membership Manual, or ten (0) days after the official vote, whichever comes first. Page of

7 Section. On Good Standing: a. A student member in good standing shall be a student without outstanding debts or fines and who has complied with the required attendance policy as stated in Article IV, Section. b. A pledge in good standing shall be a student without outstanding debts or fines, who has attended or has been excused from all pledge meetings and any chapter events the pledge is eligible to attend by the Regent, Scribe, or Pledge Instructors. c. A member is not in good standing shall be considered ineligible to vote on any matter. d. The Scribe shall keep a record of members in good standing. Section. To regain good standing, a student member of pledge shall attend two () consecutive meetings at which roll call is taken and repay all debts or set up a payment plan and have paid the first installment. Section. A student member not able to attend a meeting or event must notify the Scribe or Regent before the meeting or event begins. Section. This chapter may permit the granting of Early Alumnus Status in accordance with National Bylaws Chapter, Part B, Section. In addition to acquiring approval from a four-fifths (/) majority and the Theta Tau Central Office, the student member seeking Early Alumnus Status, hereafter referred to as the applicant, must comply with the following mandatory requirements within a 0-day period: a. The applicant must file a formal written petition with the Scribe, which will be distributed to the student members. The petition should include why the applicant is seeking Early Alumnus Status. In addition, it should include their history of involvement and future plans. Any suggestions, concerns, or additional information the applicant has for the chapter should be discussed here as well. Filing the petition will begin the 0-day period. b. All paperwork required by the Central Office to achieve Early Alumnus Status must be filed with the Scribe within days of filing the petition. This paperwork may be obtained from the Scribe. c. The applicant must give a formal presentation to the chapter at a closed meeting. This presentation should cover the topics in the formal written petition. The applicant must be in good standing at the time of presentation. Page of

8 0 d. The applicant will be required to pay any fees according to National Bylaws, Chapter, Part B, Section. If this is not financially possible, a payment plan must be set up with the Treasurer to pay the fee within months of being granted Early Alumnus Status by the Central Office. Section. A student member may be granted Alumnus Status by the National Office after four () years as a student member in good standing as per National Bylaws, Chapter, Part B, Section. Section. Alumni may attend all chapter meetings and functions. Section. Alumni are ineligible to vote at chapter meetings. To regain an official vote, an alumnus must regain Student Membership Status. Page of

9 Article IV: Organization, Government, and Meetings Section. Officers of Tau Beta Chapter: a. The executive officers of this fraternity shall be: Regent, Vice Regent, Scribe, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, Marshal, Inner Guard, and Outer Guard. b. The officers and committee chair positions shall be: Student Member, Pledge Instructors, Professional Development Chair, Recruitment Chair, Community Service Chair, Risk Management Chair, Fundraising Chair, Spirit Chair, Sing Song Chair, Homecoming Chair, Historian, Social Chair, Brotherhood Chair, Intramural Chair, and Website Administrator. c. No member may hold more than one of the positions listed in Article IV, Section a of the Bylaws of Tau Beta Chapter (this document). d. Positions in Article IV, Section b of the Bylaws of Tau Beta Chapter (this document) may be held by one or more student member(s) or one or more pledge(s) in good standing upon recommendation of the Pledge Instructors or the Marshal. e. Each officer and committee chair shall be elected by majority secret ballot. f. All Officers and Chair Positions shall be elected for a term of two () semesters, unless otherwise specified. g. If an officer becomes unable to continue the duties of that office for the remainder of the term, or if for any reason a position is vacant (and the Regent declines to or is disallowed from filling that position), then an election shall be held to fill this position within three () meetings. The Regent may appoint a member to this office for the interim period. Section. On Creating or Eliminating Offices or Chair Positions a. Any other offices or committee chair positions may be formed by the Regent or by majority vote. Newly created positions may be filled by Regent s nomination or at the next available election or by special election. b. Any officer position not listed in Article IV, Section a of the Bylaws of Tau Beta Chapter (this document) may be eliminated by majority vote. c. The Bylaws of Tau Beta Chapter (this document) shall be amended no later than the last meeting of each semester by majority vote to reflect any changes to Article IV, Section a and b of the Bylaws of Tau Beta Chapter. In case of a failure to do so, any offices or committee chair positions not listed in Article IV, Section a and b shall be eliminated. Page of

10 0 0 0 Section. Election of officers shall be held during or near the last official chapter meeting in the Spring semester except for the Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary, who shall be elected during the last meeting during the Fall semester. An election may be held for specific officer positions other than Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary during or near the end of the Fall semester if an officer vacates or is challenged for their position. Section. If an officer is deemed by the chapter to be unfit for his or her position, or has grossly neglected his or her duties, the chapter can conduct an immediate Vote of No Confidence, requiring a nine-tenths majority of the persons present at that meeting to force the resignation of that officer. A second vote, requiring a two-thirds majority, must be taken at the following meeting to ratify this decision so as not to infringe the rights of any party not present at the initial vote. Should either vote fail, the officer in question must be reinstated. If both votes pass, the officer shall be required to resign and the office shall be considered vacant. Section. The Regent shall preside at all meetings, initiate all new members, form new committees and chair positions, appoint officers to newly created positions, hold all executive officers accountable for duties listed in the Bylaws of Tau Beta Chapter (this document) and fulfill such other obligations as may be imposed upon him or her by the fraternity. Section. The Vice Regent shall maintain a calendar for all official Theta Tau events, hold all officers and committee chairs accountable for duties, assist in the fulfillment in the Regent s responsibilities and execute other assignments as may be imposed by the chapter or Regent. If the Regent is unable to officiate, the Vice Regent shall do so until the Regent is able to resume his or her duties. Section. The Scribe shall keep the fraternity records, including attendance and a record of members in good standing, keep minutes of the meetings, and perform such other duties as prescribed by the Regent or by the fraternity. If a member is in bad standing due to attendance, the Scribe will notify the Regent, Marshal, and that member. The Scribe shall present or make available the NCR to the chapter each semester. Section. The Treasurer shall keep the fraternity funds and financial records, collect fees and dues, and make disbursements from the fraternity treasury. If a member is in bad standing due to financial delinquency, the Treasurer will notify the Regent, Marshal, and that member. The Treasurer will present a projected budget to the chapter for the following semester at least two () weeks prior to the end of the current semester. Page 0 of

11 Section. At the end of each academic year, the Treasurer, Regent, and Student Member, shall independently audit the treasury and determine if there is any unallocated money. If so, one-quarter (/) of the leftover money will go into the housing fund unless a majority of the chapter votes to contribute a different amount (failure to vote on this provision requires that one-quarter (/) of the leftover money be contributed to the housing fund). Results of the audit shall be reported to active student members within one week of completion. Section 0. The Corresponding Secretary shall carry on such correspondence as required by the Regent or by the fraternity, and shall keep a current file of all student and alumnus members of the fraternity. Section. The duties of the Marshal are as follows: a. Maintaining order and discipline within the Chapter room, track outside threats to the Fraternity s wellbeing, and protect the future of the Chapter, while performing duties assigned by the Bylaws of Theta Tau. b. Under the direction of the Marshal, the Guards shall provide for the security of the Chapter Room. The Marshal shall be situated in a position so as to observe all Chapter Room activities, including potential entrances, and to maintain meeting decorum. c. The Marshal, with the assistance of the Guards, has the power to remove any Member from a chapter meeting when engaging in acts that are disruptive to the meeting or violate the Laws and Customs of Theta Tau. The Regent has the power to instruct the Marshal to do so. d. The Marshal shall: a. Perform all ceremonial duties ascribed to the position. b. Be charged with maintaining an adequate knowledge of Robert s Rules of Order or to appoint a Parliamentarian to advise the Marshal. The Marshal shall ensure correct and efficient meeting procedures and perform disciplinary measures when needed. c. Chair a Values Committee to establish and preserve proper traditions and values that are appropriate for the Chapter. d. Keep the Minute Binder and shall move to have the minutes signed at each regular meeting. e. Be involved in the pledge training process in an advisory capacity and be available to any pledge with questions, comments, or concerns. Page of

12 f. Organize and conduct exit interviews after initiation to review important materials with new initiates. g. Read the National Constitution and Bylaws at regular closed meetings when possible. Section. The duties of the Inner and Outer Guards shall be to maintain the security of the chapter room, assist the Marshal in maintaining order during regular meetings, and assist the Marshal in the execution of his or her duties. The Inner and Outer Guards shall perform all ceremonial duties ascribed to the positions. a. The Inner Guard shall serve as the Professional Development Chair, as listed in Article IV, Section b. b. The Outer Guard shall serve as the Community Service Chair, as listed in Article IV, Section b. Section. Establishing Committees a. The committees of this fraternity shall be: Professional Development, Community Service, Fundraising, Alumni Relations, Sing Song, Homecoming, Social, and Brotherhood. b. Committee members shall directly report to their respective officer or committee chair according to the following: i. The Professional Development committee members shall report to the Professional Development chair. ii. The Community Service committee members shall report to the Community Service chair. iii. The Fundraising committee members shall report to the Fundraising chair. iv. The Alumni Relations committee members shall report to the Corresponding Secretary. v. The Sing Song committee members shall report to the Sing Song chair. vi. The Homecoming committee members shall report to the Homecoming chair. vii. The Social committee members shall report to the Social chair. viii. The Brotherhood committee members shall report to the Brotherhood chair. Page of

13 c. Committee Terms i. Committee members shall serve one () semester terms. ii. The Homecoming committee shall only exist only for the fall semester. d. Committee members shall meet at least once a month. e. The Committee Chair shall send attendance of the committee meetings to the Scribe for record keeping. f. Assignment to Committees i. Committee assignments shall be managed by the Vice Regent. Every student member shall submit preferences for committee assignments and the Vice Regent shall assign committees based on those preferences. a. The Vice Regent shall use his or her discretion to determine committee membership size and distribute members across committees as needed. ii. All members of the fraternity have the option to be assigned to a committee at the first official chapter meeting of each semester. iii. All new initiates to the fraternity have the option to immediately be assigned to a committee after initiation and will remain on their assigned committee until the first officer elections of their membership. iv. The Vice Regent shall have the power to change a student member s committee assignment at any time throughout a student member s term as a committee member at the request of the student member or with the permission of the student member. Section. On Conducting Meetings: a. Regular meetings shall be held weekly, beginning the first full week of each term. b. By majority vote, the fraternity shall establish days, times, and places for these meetings, before the last regular meeting of each semester, in case of failure to vote on this provision, the days, times, and places of chapter meeting shall remain unchanged from the previous semester. c. Official meeting spaces and times may be suspended by the Regent due to unavailability of the official meeting room, no more than three () times in one semester. Should the need to do so arise more than three () times in one semester, a new meeting room must be secured. Page of

14 0 0 0 d. The Regent shall be allowed to start meetings up to three () hours earlier than established in Article IV, Section b, as long as the chapter is notified twenty-four () hours in advance. Attendance shall not be influenced by being late to any meeting with amended start times. e. Special meetings may be called by the Regent or by a majority vote of the members. f. Robert s Rules of Order shall govern the parliamentary procedure at meetings, except where the Bylaws of the Tau Beta Chapter of Theta Tau Fraternity (this document) or National Policy contradicts Robert s Rules of Order. Section. Student members are required to attend three-fourths (/) of mandatory events and two-thirds (/) of the weekly meetings per semester. Student members are required to complete eight () hours of Community Service each semester and are required to attend at least one () Professional Development event each semester. Events are to be declared mandatory by the Regent and are not to exceed eight () in number per semester. Member attendance shall be taken by the officer in charge during each mandatory event. The attendance must then be sent to the Scribe for record keeping. Regular class meetings, illness, and other exceptions as approved by the Regent will not count against the member s attendance as long as the Regent or Scribe is notified beforehand. Section. In order to open a meeting, a quorum of one-third (/) the number of student members in good standing (minus the number of student members in good standing who are currently employed at a Cooperative education/internship/work-study program, unless said student members are present at the time the meeting begins) must be present. Section. If a member stays in bad standing for more than one () month, the chapter will vote on whether to hold a trial to allow disciplinary action to be taken, except where a trial is required by the National Bylaws, National Constitution, or The Ritual. Page of

15 Article V: Fees and Dues Section. Each member must pay promptly all fees, dues, and special assessments established by the members of the fraternity, and the additional charges made by Theta Tau. Section. Special assessments shall apply to student members only and shall require two-thirds (/) majority. Section. Active member chapter dues shall be $ per semester, due one () full month before the national due date. After this date, a $0 late fee will apply. Section. Pledges shall pay the national pledge fee in accordance with National Bylaws, Chapter V, Section within seven () days of the pinning ceremony. Section. A local pledge fee, not to exceed $, may be assessed to each pledge to be paid with the national pledge fee. This fee may only be used for official pledge activities. Section. A pledge must pay the initiation and badge fees as stated by National Bylaws, Chapter V, Section before they can be initiated. Section. Members dues shall not exceed $0 excluding any additional fees per semester. A four-fifths (/) vote of the members present at the meeting after a change is proposed, in writing, is required to increase a semester s dues beyond this amount. The Treasurer shall make available to the chapter an amended budget at least seven () calendar days before a vote is taken. Section. Any member that fails to adhere to the attendance policy regarding mandatory events and weekly meetings is subject to fines assessed by the Executive Board, not to exceed $ per semester. If a member does not comply with the attendance policy as stated in Article IV, Section the Regent is required to impose a minimum fine of $ on that member. Section. Alumni have an obligation to pay any fees or dues accrued as student members. This payment shall occur no later than one () year after alumnus status is granted. Section 0. Dues may be reduced on an individual basis by a two-thirds (/) vote of the chapter. Section. If any financial obligations cannot be met, including those by student members, pledges, or alumni, a payment plan must be set up with the Treasurer before the due date of the financial obligation. Page of

16 Section. If a member, pledge, or alumnus has an outstanding balance with the chapter for more than one month after payment was due, or if the member is more than one month late on a payment in a payment plan, the Treasurer should send out a certified letter notifying them that their name may be sent to a collection agency if they do not rectify the outstanding balance within one month after the postmarked date. If they still have not paid, then they shall be turned over to a collection agency to retrieve the money. Page of

17 0 0 0 Article VI: Miscellaneous Section. On Member Books: a. Within one () month of initiation, each newly initiated member shall be supplied with a Member Book. b. The Member Book shall be a manual and informational book for all members and shall contain, but not be limited to, the following materials: i. Contact Information for all Executive Officers and the Student Member ii. Parliamentary Procedure Reference Guides iii. A List of All Members of Tau Beta Chapter, organized by Pin Number iv. The Bylaws, Regulations, and Standards of Tau Beta Chapter (This Document) c. Member Books may not contain any secret information and are to be considered private. As such, Member Books shall not be shared with non-members of the fraternity or pledges of the fraternity. Member Books shall not be left unattended in any public location. d. Tau Beta Chapter shall offer a fifteen-dollar ($.00) reward for any Member Books returned to an Executive Officer. Any active member whose Member Books are returned to the chapter shall be fined the amount of the reward. e. Member Books may be physical or electronic copies of the required materials. Section. Tau Beta Chapter will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status in accordance with National Bylaws and Membership Requirements. This chapter s commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Section. Tau Beta Chapter shall provide travel funds equal to or greater than the fine levied by the Central Office for the Delegate to the National Convention. Page of