ByLaws
Any member who earns no points during a two-semester period and who has not notified the chapter executive committee either in person or in writing of his/her reason(s) for lack of participation and has not been excused by the executive committee from participating during said semesters shall immediately and without notification be dropped from membership and declared not in good standing with the Society.
Activity points may be earned by participating in any of the following:
1/2 Point Each:
* For each half-hour of participation in a fund raising which is divided into specific time slots.
* For bringing refreshment to a meeting.
One Point Each:
* Participating in fund-raising project.
* Contributing articles to newsletters, scrapbooks, etc.
* Independent work for GBP such as addressing newsletter, putting up posters, making phone calls, etc.
Two Points Each:
* Attending a regular monthly meeting of Gamma Beta Phi.
* Serving on an active committee.
* Participating in a service project.
Three Points Each:
* Serving as a project chairperson.
* Serving as an active committee chairperson.
* Attending a state convention.
* Attending annual induction ceremony.
Four Points Each:
*Attending a national convention.
NOTE: Additional point totals may be awarded to members of the Society for work or service contributions when it has been voted on and accepted by the executive board.
Any member who expressly promises or agrees to aid Gamma Beta Phi by serving as a committee member or participating in an event sponsored by Gamma Beta Phi shall be committed to serving in such capacity as formerly agreed upon. Any failure to meet this duty shall be considered a breach of Gamma Beta Phi ideals of worthy character, unless notification is given to the executive committee, or a member thereof, no later than 48 hours after the conclusion of said event. The executive committee may place members who chronically fail to meet their commitments on probation and if the member does not improve, the member will be suspended.
An activity point system will be maintained for each member. Cumulative point totals shall have an influence on the decisions for awards given to outstanding members.
In accordance with the nature and purpose of The Gamma Beta Phi Society, members are expected to participate in the projects, meetings, and other activities of the chapter. A member may be dropped from membership for failure to meet the activity standards established by/for the chapter.
It shall be one of the duties of the chapter executive committee to insure that enough ways of making points are provided so that sincere members will be able to make their points without undue hardship. Members in danger of coming up short are encouraged to contact the executive committee for suggestions.
Any member has the right to appeal to the executive committee if the member feels he/she has been treated unfairly.
A member dropped from membership may appeal the decision of the chapter executive committee to the State advisor, and then, if desired, to the Executive Director whose decision is final. The name of any member dropped from membership shall be sent to the Executive Director immediately, along with the reason for the action. A student dropped from membership may later be reinstated by action of the chapter executive committee, if the committee is satisfied that the student now meets the standards of membership. A member so reinstated will not again pay the national membership fee, but notification of the reinstatement shall be sent at once to the Executive Director.
ARTICLE IV
LOSS OF MEMBERSHIP
A member of the Troy University Dothan Campus chapter of The Gamma Beta Phi Society may be dropped from membership for failure to pay his/her dues by the designated date each April.
A member must retain no less than a 3.0 grade point average. If a member should drop below that, he/she will be allowed one semester of probation to regain such ranking. If after that semester, he/she does not meet the retention standard, he/she will be suspended from membership until his/her grade point average is again at 3.0 or above.
A member on the “Not In Good Standing” list (Article III, Section I) will be transferred to permanent inactive status one calendar year after being placed on the temporary list unless the member requests, in writing, an extension. The executive committee will decide whether or not to grant the request.
A member of this chapter may be dropped from membership for failure to meet the requirements of the activity point system (as detailed in Article III, Section II) or upon executive committee's screening of the inactive membership list and deciding, on a case-by-case basis, which inactive members are to be dropped.
A violation of the Code of Ethics as determined by the Executive Committee can result in immediate termination of membership.
Any member dropped from membership may appeal in writing or in person to the executive committee. Further appeal may be made to the State Advisor and then to the Executive Director whose decision is final
A student dropped from membership may later be reinstated by action of the chapter executive committee if the committee is satisfied that he/she now meets the standards for membership. A member so reinstated will not again pay the national membership fee. A record of the reinstatement shall be immediately sent to the Executive Director.
ARTICLE V
INDUCTION OF MEMBERS
Induction of new members shall take place two times per year, Spring & Fall semesters. The induction ceremonies shall be a dignified occasion. There shall be no hazing of an inductee-either that which would result in physical discomfort or that which would cause mental embarrassment.
The National Office shall be sent immediately the Application for Membership form, the information card and the national fee for each new member.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS
The elected officers of this chapter of the Gamma Beta Phi Society shall be: a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, a public relations director, a historian, a special projects director, and a website officer.
The duties of the president shall be: to preside at all meetings, to appoint all committees and all committee officers, unless such officers are selected otherwise; to guide the activities and administer the policies laid down in the national constitution and the chapter by-laws; to complete and file with National Headquarters the year-end report; and to be the representative of this chapter when necessary or desirable. A member can only serve two consecutive terms in the position of President.
A member must have served as an officer within the chapter in order to be eligible to serve in the position of President.
The duties of the vice-president shall be: to preside at meetings when the president is absent; to assume the presidency should the president be unable to serve; to assist in administering the affairs of the chapter; and to chair committees as appointed by the president.
The duties of the secretary shall be: to carry on the general correspondence of the chapter; to order and properly disburse material from headquarters; to record and prepare the minutes of each meeting; to keep current records of the members and their standing, points wise as well as their service project status, within the organization; and to keep National Headquarters informed about all changes in membership and elected officers membership and reasons for such.
The duties of the treasurer shall be: to collect and safeguard the funds of the chapter; to keep complete and accurate records of all financial transactions; to complete and send to National Headquarters a year-end financial statement; to order and disburse to members items such as jewelry and clothing; and to pass on to the treasurer succeeding him/her all funds remaining in the treasury and to give the advisor all financial records.
The duties of the public relations director shall be: to publicize all chapter activities (meetings, fund-raisers, and service projects primarily); to serve as editor of the chapter newsletter, when one is deemed necessary, and be responsible for having the newsletter printed and mailed to all active members, Advisors, state officers, and national officers. The public relations director shall also serve as the chair of the publicity committee, when such a committee is formed, and ensure that the duties of the committee are fully and properly accomplished.
The duties of the historian shall be: to prepare a scrapbook of the chapter's activities for the school year. A scrapbook committee may be appointed to assist. When such a committee is deemed necessary, the historian shall chair that committee.
The duties of the special projects director shall be: to present fund-raising projects to the membership, to coordinate service projects, and to plan social activities. The special projects director will also chair the projects committee, when such a committee is formed, or any special committee upon appointment by the president.
The duties of the website officer shall be: to maintain the chapter's website. The website officer will keep the website up to date with chapter activities. The website officer will email members a reminder of upcoming meetings.
The officers of this chapter shall be nominated at a Spring semester meeting of the chapter. The executive committee with the membership concurring will set the date of this meeting. The membership, by a simple majority vote, may suspend nominations until the next regular meeting and then hold elections or elections may be held at the nominations meeting. Officers will be elected by written ballot and shall be installed at the end of that meeting at which time they shall assume their respective duties.
A member must have completed one year of service in Gamma Beta Phi in order to fill the position of President, Vice – President, Secretary or Treasurer.
All officers are required to be present at the general membership meeting. Any officer missing more that two of the nine general meetings during a term in office without authorization from the Executive Committee will be subject to immediate removal from office.
All officers must be present at all new member orientations and induction ceremonies. Failure to attend without authorization from the Executive Committee can result in the immediate removal from office.
The prior year’s membership records of nominees for the position of President, Vice- President, secretary or Treasurer will be read immediately to the votors following nominations. Those records will also be made available for viewing.
It shall be the duty of all officers, whether elected or appointed, to create an atmosphere conducive to the betterment of the chapter and to work toward a spirit of cooperation among one another.
ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES
The standing committees of this chapter shall be: the executive committee, and the membership-induction committee.
The executive committee shall be composed of all elected officers. The president shall chair the committee. In addition, all elected officers from previous years are ex-officio members of the executive committee. The Advisor and Associate Advisor will be invited to all meetings of the committee and their counsel shall be sought and considered. The duties of the committee shall be: to see that the standards of membership are maintained, to handle all disciplinary matters; to plan general policies and activities for presentation to the membership and to insure that only qualified persons are allowed into membership.
The president shall appoint the membership-induction committee and the chairman. Its duties shall be to acquire a list of prospective members and data on the grade-point cutoffs for the active and prospective members from the advisors, to issue the invitations and acceptance letters for the Spring semester membership drive, to organize the Spring semester Induction ceremony, and to monitor the chapter's standards.
In addition to these two standing committees, the president may appoint special committees to attend to, and/or report upon any specific matter involving the chapter. Also, the president may establish any temporary committee deemed necessary by the president, the executive committee, or the general membership.
ARTICLE VIII
REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Procedures for special election(s).
Section 1. The organization shall have the power by a two-thirds majority of all members voting to remove any elected officer for failure to carry out his/her duties as stated in Article VI, and after charges have been preferred by a duly appointed committee.
The president shall appoint said committee referred to in Section 1. In such case, if the president should be under investigation, an advisor or the organization shall appoint the committee. The committee shall consist of eight impartial members, none of whom shall be members of the executive committee.
The president, in agreement with the executive committee, shall have the right to request the resignation of any appointed officer who fails to fulfill his/her responsibilities.
Section 2. In the event that an officer is unable to fulfill his/her duties, or is removed from office according to Section 1, paragraph 1, a special election shall be held according to procedures, as follows:
a. Nominations shall be taken from the floor at the next regular meeting applicable to the situation.
b. Within a fourteen day time period from the date of the last regular meeting, the president may call a special meeting in accordance with Article IX to fill the office in question.
c. The person receiving the majority of the votes shall be elected to the respective office provided there is a quorum present. He/she shall assume the duties of that office immediately. In the event a quorum is not present, the election will be postponed until the next regular meeting.
ARTICLE IX
MEETINGS
Normally, the chapter shall meet at 2:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month except June and July, with November-December meeting being combined and held on a date set by the membership as a result of discussion and vote, with a simple majority sufficient to set the date.
The membership, by a simple majority vote, may change the date of any regular meeting.
The president may call a special meeting after consultation with, and approval of, the executive committee and the advisor. All members are to be sent notification of the special meeting and its purpose for being called. Only the business for which the meeting is called will be transacted, unless the membership of the chapter determines otherwise by a vote of 2/3 of the active membership.
Executive committee meetings will be held at 1:30 p.m. before every regularly scheduled meeting. The president may call executive committee meetings at times other than, and in addition to, the regularly scheduled time and/or place.
ARTICLE X
QUORUM AND PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
A quorum of this chapter shall be constituted by 25 percent of the active membership. No action may be taken which is binding upon the membership unless a quorum is present.
The parliamentary authority for this chapter shall be the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
ARTICLE XI
ATTENDANCE TO STATE AND NATIONAL CONVENTION
The Troy University Dothan Campus chapter will make every effort to send the appropriate voting delegates to both State and National Conventions. All members are encouraged to attend both State and National Conventions and the local chapter will make every attempt to alleviate the cost incurred to the member.
ARTICLE XII
AMENDING AND TRANSMITTING THE BYLAWS
The bylaws of this chapter may be amended by a majority vote of the members at any meeting at which a quorum is present, provided such proposed amendment in written form has been placed before the membership at a previous regular meeting, or has been provided to the membership at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which the vote on such measure(s) shall be taken.
Both the Executive Director of the Gamma Beta Phi Society and the appropriate administrator or committee at Troy University Dothan Campus shall be sent immediately a copy of these bylaws and of any subsequent amendments of alterations.
Each member will be provided with a copy of the most recent bylaws.
ARTICLE XIII
DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of this organization will be turned over to the National Executive Committee to use as it sees fit.