Bylaws of Sigma Sigma Sigma (ΣΣΣ) Chapter Bylaws of Alpha Pi (AΠ) Article I. Name The name of this chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma shall be Alpha Pi, and it shall be governed by the Bylaws of Sigma Sigma Sigma and this chapter. Article II. Meetings Section 1. The regular meeting of the Alpha Pi Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma shall be held on Monday 8:00pm. Ceremonial Business Meetings shall be held at the discretion of the officers, but will be held once a month and the first and last meeting of the semester. Section 2. The officers shall meet in executive sessions at the discretion of the President. These meetings shall occur at least once a week. Section 3. Members shall attend all scheduled meetings and functions of the chapter unless excused in advance by the President. A member wishing to be excused shall state her reasons in writing. Any unexcused absence may cause said member to be subject to discipline determined by Honor Council. Section 4.A quorum shall be necessary to conduct business. Two-thirds of total chapter membership in good standing shall constitute a quorum. Article III. Dues and Fees Section 1. Local chapter dues shall be $230 per semester. Payable on or before the dates specified by current treasurer. If not payable by date specified, speak with the Treasurer Section 2. A $30 housing fee will be paid each semester by every sister. Section 3. At the time of the new member process, a new member fee of $100 shall be collected from each new member before Arc Degree. This fee shall be sent to National Headquarters. Section 4. Within 48 hours before initiation, an initiation fee of $160 plus the cost of the badge (ranging from $50-$160) plus $115 National Dues shall be collected and sent to National Headquarters. Section 5. Payments to the chapter for dues will be made through Billhighway. Article IV. Membership Section 1. Membership in each chapter shall be determined by performance, educational achievement, and criteria related to the goals and purposes of the sorority. Judgments shall not be made based upon other factors such as individual race, color, religions, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability. Section 2. Potential new members shall have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.5 or better in order to be extended an invitation to membership. Section 3. New members shall be added in accordance with the recruitment policies of NPC as adopted by the local college Panhellenic Council. Section 4. A new member shall be initiated within one calendar year of the date of her acceptance of the invitation to membership. Section 5. At the time of formal recruitment, or any form of formal recruitment, all legacies shall be invited to at least one invitational party; other potential new members for whom the chapter has received voluntary alumna recommendations shall also be invited to at least one invitational party. Section 6. If, for any reason a chapter does not initiate a new member within one calendar year from the date of her new member process, her new member status automatically expires. The date of expiration shall be entered in the chapter records. Section 7. Prerequisites for any second new member period would entail a vote of the chapter and the permission of chapter officers of Sigma Sigma Sigma. Section 8. The privilege to take a little and/or heart little shall be decided in order of initiation for those who do not have a little. Article V. Elections Section 1. Chapter officers shall be elected at the first meeting of November during a Ceremonial Business Meeting; the exact date will be determined by chapter needs (earlier or later election requires the permission of the Collegiate Coordinator/Coordinator Of Collegiate Chapter Development.) Section 2. A Nominating Committee to select a slate of officers shall be appointed by the President at the first meeting in October. This committee should include a representative from each academic class. Section 3. Candidates shall be eligible according to the Constitution and Bylaws of Sigma Sigma Sigma. Section 4. Candidates must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better in order to be eligible to hold officer. Section 5. Officers training sessions shall be held prior to installation. Section 6. Installation is conducted during the last meeting of the fall semester. Article VI. Officers and Chairmen Section 1. The elected officers of the chapter shall be President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership/Recruitment Director, Education Director, and Panhellenic Representative. Section 2. The duties of the officers shall be explained in the manual for each individual chapter office and the National Constitution and Bylaws of Sigma Sigma Sigma. Section 3. The President shall appoint chairmen such as Panhellenic Delegate, Foundation/RPM, Triangle Correspondent, Music, Public Relations, Ritual, Parliamentarian, Alumnae Relations, Efficiency, Risk management, Webmaster, Awards, and other necessary for chapter operations. Section 4. At least twice a month all chairs must present a report at the chapter meeting. The chairs must also make sure to report to the officer that they are assigned to as well. Section 5. The consequence for failing to report as stated in Section 4 is a meeting with the President of the chapter. Aricle VII. Housing Section 1. The chapter housing is owned and operated by the Housing Corporation. All members must abide by the House rules and the National Policies of Sigma Sigma Sigma. Section 2. All new members shall be required to make a one time payment to the chapter housing fund of five dollars. This fee should be taken out of new member dues. Section 3. This fund shall be maintained in a local savings account separate to other chapter funds. Section 4. Disbursement from this account may be made for housing items only. Housing items are defined in agreement with those qualifying for the National Collegiate Chapter Housing fund. In addition, purchase improvement and repairs to our house are considered housing items. Section 5. This is not to be used for chapter operating costs. Section 6. Privilege to reside in a sorority house shall be in the following order. Chapter officers, previous members who have already lived in the house for one year or more. NOTE: Chapter officers cannot require a member to leave/move out of the room if a member has already occupied that room for the past year. Earliest initiation date, lowest term of previous occupancy, greatest number of college credit hours, and highest GPA. Section 7. Any further consideration or exceptions for housing priority shall be decided by the Collegiate Coordinator/Coordinator of Collegiate Chapter Development or housing corporation. Section 8. All members/new members are required to live in the sorority housing for a minimum of one year. All chapter officers are required to live in the sorority house for one semester of their term in office. When the house has more available spaces than members all members that have not formally lived in the house are required to fill the house. Section 9. Article VII does not apply until a chapter house has been obtained. Section 10. The chapter will ensure house capacity at 95% and hardship will goes to existing members living in the house for paying for all empty beds Article VIII. Amendments Section 1. These bylaws should be read at the second meeting of EACH semester. Section 2. These by-laws may be amended by a 2/3rds of total chapter membership in good standing. Every member off campus shall be asked to vote by mail and shall be informed when the vote is counted. Votes not received by a specified date shall be counted in the affirmative. Section 3. A copy of the by-laws, as accepted by the chapter shall be sent to the Collegiate Coordinator following the second meeting of each semester. Copies shall be placed in the manual of chapter President, Secretary and attached to a current copy of the Nation Constitution and Bylaws filed in the chapter chest. While the chapters by laws are not secret, they are for the use of members only and not subject to non-member inspection. The same is true of the National Constitution and By-Laws of Sigma Sigma Sigma. In case of a request for either document, consult your Collegiate Coordinator or National Headquarters. Aricle IX. Grades Section 1. Study hours are as follows according to ones G.PA and are to be done weekly.: 3.5 – 4.0 = no study hours 3.0 – 3.49 = one study hour 2.5 – 2.99 = three study hours 2.0 – 2.49 = five study hours below 2.0 = seven study hours Section 2. The consequences for not doing ones study hours within a single semester are as follows: For the first week you do not do your hours, you receive a warning. The second week your hours are not completed you will meet with the education director. The third week that you do not do your study hours you will be sent to Honor Council. Article X. Budget Section 1. Category Amount Alumnae Relations $100 Composite $700 Philanthropy $100 Recruitment $250 Community Service $100 Sisterhood $50 Pan-Hellenic Dues $160 New Member Budget $175 Social Events $50 Education $50 Fundraising $100 Chairman Fund $100 Officer Fund $150 Chapter Operations $100 Total $2,235.00 Article XI. Points MEETINGS Business Meeting 30pts Committee Meeting 5pts CBM 50pts PHC Meeting 5pts Sequence Meeting 10pts Officer Meeting 10pts BIG EVENTS Arc Degree 100pts Heart Big/Heart Little 20pts Big/Little 20pts GLS 30pts Initiation 200pts Cabin Party 15pts ACTIVITIES/EVENTS Senior Send On 20pts Educations 30pts* Workshops 30pts* PHC Events 20 pts Greek Sing/Dance 10pts (per rehearsal) Study Hours 15pts (per week) Chores 15pts Float 15pts (10 hours)** REPORTS Efficiency 15pts (MUST BE ON TIME!!!) Committee Reports 15pts** FOUNDATION/PHILANTHROPY 15 hrs Community Service 15pts (1 point/hour) $30 fundraising (1 point/dollar) $25 foundation (1 point/dollar) Mandatory Events 10pts RECRUITMENT EVENTS Boot Camp/Workshop 10pts Parties (3) 60pts (20 per party attended) Preference Party 30 pts Bid Day 50 pts BONUS POINTS Sisterhoods 5pts New Member Meetings 5pts -Events with ** are discontinued until further notice/are not necessary this semester. -Events with * are in addition to the meeting they are being held during. -In order to be excused from an event a WRITTEN excuse must be turned in at the Monday night meeting for that particular week. Please include all excuses you may need for that week. Excuses are at the discretion of the Secretary. You may not be excused from an event just because an excuse was turned in. You will be notified if you are not excused. -If you are going to be absent from an event due to an unforseen circumstance, you must call either the chair of the event or an officer to let them know! Emergencies will not result in the loss of points. -If points are not made for ONE month, a recommendation will be made to Honor Council. Revised Fall 2009 Beth Axelson -For an event to be considered mandatory/worth points, it must be announced and voted on ONE (meeting) week prior to the date of the event. -All sisters and new members will be notified at each meeting of where they stand with making points.