Back to Important Documents Main
Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Delta Xi
Chapter Constitution
Last Amended April 2009
PREAMBLE:
We, the members of the Alpha Delta Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National
Service Fraternity, on the campus of Christopher Newport University, establish
this chapter for the purpose of assembling college students in a National Co-ed
Service Fraternity following the principles of Alpha Phi Omega; to develop
Leadership, to promote Friendship, and provide Service to humanity; and to
further the freedom that is our national, educational, and intellectual
heritage. The rich heritage of Alpha Phi Omega is derived from the principles
of the Boy Scouts of America as embodied in the Scout Oath and Law.
ARTICLE I: Name
The name of this organization is the Alpha Delta Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi
Omega at
ARTICLE II: Purpose and Policy
A. This Chapter shall be conducted as a Service Fraternity under the
policies, principles, and provisions set forth in the National Articles of
Incorporation, National Bylaws, Robert's Rules of Order: Newly Revised, this
Constitution, the Chapter's Policy Manual, and the Brotherhood Standards.
The organization will adhere to University policies and all local,
state and federal laws.
B. The Alpha Delta Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity
shall not haze any prospective or current member for the purpose of admission
into or affiliation with the organization.
Members of the Alpha Delta Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National
Service Fraternity are free to leave or dissociate without fear of retribution
or harassment. The Alpha Delta Xi
Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity shall not discriminate
based on race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability and sexual
orientation.
C. This Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega shall not seek nor accept membership in
any association consisting solely of social fraternities, except on the
approval of the National Board of Directors.
D. The Purpose of Alpha Phi Omega is to promote Leadership, Friendship, and
Service among Brothers, Pledges, and Alumni of this Chapter.
ARTICLE III: Membership
SECTION I - Open Membership
A. Membership in this Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega shall be open to all
students who are in good Academic Standing with the University.
B. Membership in this Chapter shall be granted only after the applicant has
fulfilled the membership requirements prescribed by the National Fraternity and
this Chapter.
SECTION II - Pledge Membership
A. A Pledge shall be one participating in a program to familiarize the
person with the spirit and ideals of Alpha Phi Omega, its principles, history,
and traditions.
B. The pledge class shall have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in order to
pledge.
C. Pledge membership may only be conferred upon students enrolled in this
University taking no less than three credit hours of class credit.
D. Pledging shall be in accordance with the National Pledging Standards,
National Bylaws, the Chapter governing documents, and the Risk Management
Policy.
E. Pledges are allowed speaking, but not voting, privileges at General
Brotherhood Meetings.
SECTION III - Active Membership
A. An Active Brother shall be a fully initiated Chapter Brother and be
current in all Chapter and National financial obligations.
B. An Active Brother shall maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 to stay active.
Brothers who fall below a 2.5 GPA will be placed on probationary status, not to
exceed four semesters. Brothers who
exceed four semesters will be considered Inactive.
C. An Active Brother shall be enrolled in no less than three credit
hours.
D. An Active Brother must attend at least two-thirds of all announced
General Brotherhood Meetings per semester.
1. Missing more than one-third of all announced
General Brotherhood Meetings for the semester will result in the Active
Brother's status being changed to Probationary at the end of the semester.
2. The Executive Board has the authority to
validate reasons; presented in writing, for missing more than one-third allowed
absences by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
3. Class schedule conflicts with General
Brotherhood Meetings are an automatic excuse from General Brotherhood Meetings.
The Brother with the schedule conflict must inform the Executive Board of his
or her conflict in writing within the first two weeks of the semester.
4. Class schedule changes that create a conflict
with General Brotherhood Meetings must be reported to the Executive Board in
writing within one week of that change.
E. Financial obligations must be paid by the fourth General Brotherhood
Meeting of the semester. If dues are not paid by the fourth General Brotherhood
Meeting of the semester, the Brother must notify the Executive Board of
any extenuating circumstances in writing. If this is not done, they will
be immediately placed on Probationary status until dues are paid.
F. An Active Brother will perform no less than twenty hours of service per
semester and participate in no less than three projects.
G. An Active Brother is required to attend all Ritual Events, all Rush
events, and the Chapter Program Planning Conference unless he or she has a
class or an emergency. Ritual Events include Pledge Pinning, Initiation, Blue
and Gold, and Meet the Brothers.
H. An Active Brother is required to serve on a project planning committee
for at least one project over the course of each academic calendar year after
pledging. This project may be headed by more than one Brother. This
project may be a service, fellowship, or fundraiser project. Upon
completion, the Leadership Vice President will be notified in writing.
I. Shall be required to attend one Constitutional Review meeting each time a
Constitutional Review period is in session.
J. If a Brother who has been initiated at another Chapter transfers to
SECTION IV - Associate Membership
A. Associate Brothers are Chapter Brothers who:
1. Perform no less than five hours of service per
semester.
2. Shall pay half Chapter, but full National dues
as per Article III, Section III, Clause E.
3. Shall be allowed to be a project chair at the
discretion of the Service, Fellowship, or Finance Vice President depending on
whether the project is a service, fellowship, or fundraiser.
4. Shall have all rights and privileges of Active Membership except that of
holding office, and voting, although an Associate Brother may still speak at
General Meetings. They do not count for quorum since they cannot
vote.
5. Shall attend at least three General Brotherhood
Meetings.
B. In order for an Active Brother to become an Associate Brother, the
Brother must inform the Executive Board by the second General Meeting of the
semester that the Brother wishes to become an Associate, unless conditions
arise in the course of the semester that dictate the Brother needs to change
status.
C. Associate Brothers may not hold Associate status for more than one
semester. After one semester holding associate status, the Brother must take
Inactive status or return to Active status with the Chapter.
D. In order to be reinstated as an Active Brother, the Associate Brother
must petition the Executive Board by the second General Brotherhood Meeting of
the reinstatement semester.
SECTION V - Probationary Membership
A. An Active brother who does not fulfill the required hours of service as
set forth in Article III, Section III, Clause F through H, or fails to meet the
attendance requirements in Article III, Section III, Clause D, shall be placed
on a ONE semester Probationary period.
B. During the Probationary period, the Brother is still bound by all the
requirements set forth in Article III, Section III and retains all the
privileges of Active Membership EXCEPT for that of voting and holding office.
They do not count for quorum since they cannot vote.
C. If, after the Probationary period, the Brother has satisfied the
aforementioned requirements, they shall be returned to Active status.
D. If, after completing the Probationary period, the Brother has not met the
aforementioned requirements, they shall have one final process through which to
regain Active Membership. Within the first three weeks of the semester, a
Probationary Brother may regain Active status by doing the following:
1. Ensure that all Chapter and National
financial obligations are paid.
2. Perform ten service hours in addition to the
service hours required as an Active Brother.
3. Attend three consecutive General Brotherhood
Meetings, unless excused according to Article III, Section III, Clause D-2.
4. Present a written appeal to the next Executive
Board meeting following the completion of the aforementioned requirements.
E. A simple majority vote of the Executive Board is required in order to
forward a motion to the General Brotherhood regarding the reinstatement of
Active status for the petitioning brother to regain Active status.
F. A two-thirds majority vote at a General Brotherhood Meeting where a
quorum is held is required to allow the petitioning brother to regain Active
status.
G. If a Brother does not meet these requirements, they will automatically be
placed on Inactive status.
SECTION VI - Advisory Membership
A. This Chapter may confer Advisory Membership upon persons approved to
serve on its Advisory Board. They shall have all rights and privileges of
Active Membership, as defined in Article III, Section III; except voting,
holding Chapter Office other than Chair of the Advisory Board, and Big Brother
privileges.
B. The Executive Board may confer Advisory status on selected individuals,
as per the National Bylaws. A two-thirds majority vote of the General
Brotherhood is required to confirm the individual's Advisory status.
C. As per the National Bylaws, the
Chapter shall designate two Advisors from the faculty or staff of
D. The Chapter shall, by a majority vote of the General Brotherhood, appoint
an Advisor as the Chair of the Advisory Board at the last General Brotherhood
Meeting of the Spring semester. At this meeting; the Chapter shall reaffirm the
Advisory status of all the members of the Advisory Board by a majority vote of the
General Brotherhood.
SECTION VII - Honorary Membership
A. This Chapter may confer Honorary status upon persons who have contributed
significantly to the ideals and purposes of Alpha Phi Omega. Persons, so
honored, shall have all the rights and privileges of Active Membership except
those of voting, holding Chapter Office, and Big Brother privileges. Honorary
Membership may not be conferred upon undergraduate students. A three-fourths
majority vote of the Chapter’s voting membership is required to confer Honorary
Membership status.
SECTION VIII - Inactive Membership
A. Inactive status is for any initiated Brother who no longer feels that
they can fulfill the obligations of an Active, Associate, or Probationary
Brother. No service hours, dues, or meeting requirement will be made for
Inactive Brothers.
B. Any Brother who decides that they can no longer stay active with the
Chapter, who is currently enrolled at this University, shall respectfully
notify the Chapter of his or her decision to change to Inactive status.
C. After an Inactive period of one semester, an Inactive Brother may
petition the Executive Board to allow him or her to return to active status. A
simple majority of the Executive Board is required to change status.
SECTION IX - Alumni Membership
A. Upon leaving this Chapter, without having been suspended or expelled, all
Brothers who have held Active, Advisory, or Honorary Membership in this Chapter
shall be recognized as Alumni Brothers. "Leaving this Chapter" shall
be defined as any Brother graduating from or no longer attending the
University.
B. An Alumni of Alpha Delta Xi, who returns as a student to this University,
may petition the Executive Board to allow him or her to return to Active
status. A simple majority of the Executive Board is required to change
status.
C. Alumni are guests at Chapter Functions. The Chapter reserves the right to
ask any guest to leave if deemed appropriate by the Chapter.
ARTICLE IV: Executive Board
SECTION I - Offices
A. The offices of Alpha Delta Xi of Alpha Phi Omega shall consist of a
President, Leadership Vice President, Service Vice President, Fellowship Vice
President, Finance Vice President, Sergeant-At-Arms, Pledgemaster,
Communications Chair, Alumni Relations Officer, Historian, and Webmaster.
1. All Offices except Historian and Webmaster are
elected. Historian and Webmaster shall be appointed by the Executive
Board.
2. All Officers must be enrolled in at least twelve
credit hours.
3. The Offices of President and Pledgemaster should,
under normal circumstances, not be held by a Newly Initiated Brother.
B. Officers
1. President
a. Shall call and preside over both Chapter and
Executive Board meetings.
b. Shall only vote in the case of a tie in
accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order: Newly Revised.
c. Shall be the official representative of this
Chapter to the University, community, and to the Alpha Phi Omega National
office.
d. Shall sit on the Advisory Board.
e. Shall have the ultimate responsibility for the
enforcement of Article II, Clause B.
f. Shall coordinate the functions of all Chapter
officers and committees.
g. Shall be, with the Finance Vice President, the
principle signer of all checks issued by the Chapter.
h. Shall have final authority over all appointed positions.
i. Shall appoint the task of recording minutes to
a Brother present at any meeting in which the Communications Chair is not
present.
j. Shall assist with Big/Little selection.
k. Shall attend at least one Pledge Class Meeting
for the purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the President.
l. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require, in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order: Newly Revised, and this
Chapter’s Policy Manual and Brotherhood Standards.
m. Shall be an Active Brother of this
Chapter.
2. Leadership Vice President
a. Shall coordinate one Leadership Development
Workshop (LDW) every Fall semester, which shall be considered a Service Project
for the Brotherhood.
b. Shall assume the duties of the President in the
event that office is vacated, until such time as a successor is chosen.
c. Shall inform Brothers who are not making timely
progress towards completion of the requirements of their status.
d. Shall maintain contact with all Brothers that
have Associate, Probationary, or Inactive status and report to the Executive
Board of their standing.
e. Shall keep updated records regarding all
Brothers' status with the Chapter and will be reviewed by the President and
Advisors at least once a semester, or as needed.
f. Shall promote Life Membership, as well as
Sectional, Regional, and National events.
g. Shall keep records of meeting attendance.
h. Shall maintain an Active membership roll and
shall report any membership concerns to the Executive Board. The Brother shall
also maintain a current membership roster, communication roster, and membership
records as necessary.
i. Shall serve as Co-Chair of the Rush committee
with the Pledgemaster.
j. Shall sit as Chair of the Standards
Committee.
k. May impose fines not exceeding $5 upon any
Brother who has signed up to bring an item to an event and fails to do so
without giving forty-eight hours notice to the Leadership Vice President. This
fine may also be imposed on any Brother missing a mandatory event, in conjunction
with any other penalties prescribed by the Executive Board. The fine(s) must be
paid within two weeks or the Brother will be placed on Probationary status.
l. Shall assist with Big/Little selection.
m. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Leadership Vice President.
n. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood
Standards.
o. Shall be an Active Brother of this Chapter.
3. Service Vice President
a. Shall be responsible for the final written
evaluations of all service projects, and assume any additional duties assigned
by the President and Executive Board.
b. Shall be responsible for assisting chairs of Service Projects with their
projects.
c. Shall assign project chairs as are deemed necessary to handle general areas
of service.
d. Shall compile all necessary paperwork
concerning the overall service program, especially financial records and
coordination sheets.
e. Shall serve as Chairperson of the Service
Committee and ensure the execution of its responsibilities.
f. Shall keep updated records regarding all
service projects to be reviewed by the President and Advisors at least once a
semester, or as needed.
g. Shall have discretion over giving Service
Hours. The decisions of the Service Vice President can be overruled by a
majority vote of the Executive Board.
h. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Service Vice President.
i. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require, in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood
Standards.
j. Shall be an Active Brother of this
Chapter.
4. Fellowship Vice President
a. Shall provide the Chapter with activities that
promote Brotherhood and friendship on a regular basis.
b. Shall carry out the planning of traditional
Chapter celebrations and maintain records of these celebrations. With the
approval of the Fellowship Vice President, Active Brothers may serve as the
chair of traditional Chapter celebrations.
c. Shall serve as chairman of the Fellowship
Committee, if a Fellowship Committee is formed.
d. Shall keep track of the Fellowship Program
budget.
e. Shall maintain Fellowship Event Coordination
Sheets.
f. May organize and execute fundraisers to support
the Fellowship Program budget.
g. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Fellowship Vice President.
h. Shall perform other duties as the office may require in accordance
with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood Standards.
i. Shall be an Active Brother of this
Chapter.
5. Finance Vice President
a. Shall be responsible, in consultation with the
Executive Board, for the preparation of the semester budget.
b. Shall prepare a preliminary budget based upon
carry over balance to be presented at the first Executive Board Meeting of the
new semester. This budget will be in effect until the official Chapter budget
is approved.
c. Shall present the final budget for the semester
by the fifth week of the semester, which is one week after all Brotherhood Dues
are due, to the rest of the Executive Board for approval by a majority
vote.
d. Shall be responsible for handling all Chapter
funds. All expenses not specifically approved as part of the semester budget
shall be screened and submitted for the Executive Board's approval.
1. No unsolicited purchases will be reimbursed
without the approval of the Executive Board.
2. Receipts may not be used to "cover"
dues owed to the fraternity.
e. Shall deposit all checks written to the
fraternity within one week of the first General Brotherhood Meeting at which
the check was given to the Fraternity.
f. Shall prepare all Internal Revenue Service
reports.
g. Shall be responsible for the collection of all
Chapter dues and the maintenance of all records thereof.
h. Shall be, with the President, the principle
signer of all checks issued by the Chapter.
i. Shall transmit promptly the funds to the
National Fraternity of Chapter fees, National membership fees, and supplies,
and keep on file all receipts for such payments.
j. Shall have the financial books of the Chapter
properly audited at the close of the term in accordance with National
Requirements.
k. Shall recommend appointment of a Fundraising
Chair to head the Fundraising Committee to the President unless he or she feels
capable of taking on that responsibility.
l. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Finance Vice President.
m. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood Standards.
n. Shall be an Active Brother of
this Chapter.
6.
Sergeant-At-Arms
a. Shall ensure that this Constitution is applied
and enforced regarding any actions or events relating to this Chapter.
b. Shall maintain, order, and replace the ritual
material and other Chapter property, as needed.
c. Shall perform such disciplinary and parliamentary
procedures as are deemed necessary by the President.
d. Shall prepare, distribute, collect, and count
ballots at elections.
e. Shall serve as a specialist regarding the
interpretation of this Constitution, but not the final authority.
f. Shall serve as Ritual Chair.
1. Ritual Chair shall be in charge of the
education of the Brotherhood about Chapter and Fraternity traditions each
semester.
2. Ritual Chair shall be responsible for ensuring
that traditions are followed and seeing to it that, when National traditions
are broken, that the brother(s) responsible be referred to the Standards
Committee.
g. Shall Chair the Constitutional Review Committee
in the Spring.
h. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Sergeant-At-Arms.
i. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood
Standards.
j. Shall be an Active Brother of this
Chapter.
7. Pledgemaster
a. Shall give all pledges an opportunity to learn
the fundamentals of Alpha Phi Omega and grasp the spirit of the Fraternity
before their initiation into Active Brotherhood.
b. Shall ensure that there will be a minimum of
seven weeks in a Pledging period with a minimum of six meetings.
c. Shall serve as Co-chairperson of the Rush
Committee with the Leadership Vice President.
d. Shall conduct the Revealing Ritual as stated in
the Chapter Traditions Manual.
e. Shall have charge of the election of pledge
class officers.
f. Shall serve as a member of the Executive Board,
even in the event of no pledge class, to protect the interests of future pledge
classes.
g. Shall coordinate or approve a minimum of two
interview periods during the pledge period.
h. Shall have final authority over Big/Little
selection.
i. Shall create, distribute and set the deadline
for Big Brother Applications to be submitted in writing.
j. Shall give the Pledges a Pledge Program
evaluation form to determine their opinion of the Pledge Program.
k. Shall have the power to appoint Assistant
Pledgemaster to assist with the Pledge Program.
l. Neither
the Pledgemaster nor the Assistant Pledgemaster shall take a Little except in extenuating
circumstances.
m. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood Standards.
n. Shall be an Active Brother of
this Chapter.
8. Communications Chair
a. Shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the
regular and special committees of the Chapter and enter them into the minutes
book.
b. The minutes shall be posted in hard copy no
later than three days after a General Brotherhood Meeting takes place.
c. Shall carry out necessary correspondences with
National, Regional, Sectional staff, and other Chapters.
d. Shall keep track of and in some form announce
birthdays, anniversaries, and special events in the lives of each Active,
Probationary, Associate, Alumni, and Inactive Brothers, as well as Advisors.
e. Shall coordinate mailings for special Chapter events.
f. Shall hold the responsibilities or recommend to
the President the appointment of the Historian.
g. Shall hold the responsibilities or recommend to
the President the appointment of the Webmaster.
h. Shall send out a weekly reminder email of the
Chapter’s events for the current week, and the next week.
i. Shall keep this Chapter informed of the
information relating to the organization from the National, Regional, or
Sectional level of Alpha Phi Omega.
j. Shall be a member of the Sectional, Regional,
and National Email List Serve.
k. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Communications Chair.
l. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood
Standards.
m. Shall be an Active Brother of
this Chapter.
9. Alumni
Relations Officer
a.
The Alumni Relations Officer shall maintain a database of Chapter and
other Local Alumni utilizing assistance from the sectional offices if necessary.
b.
They shall operate an e-mail list-serve for alumni in conjunction with
the Webmaster.
c.
Let the alumni know about major service and pledge events.
d.
Publish a newsletter each semester with pictures and articles about
service projects, new brothers, fellowship events, and plan for the next
semester.
e.
Use the newsletter for alumni announcements.
f. The
Alumni shall be involved with the senior send-off portion of the end-of-year
banquet.
g. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Alumni Relations Officer.
h. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood
Standards.
i. Shall be an Active Brother of
this Chapter.
10. Historian
a. Shall chronicle the activities of the
Chapter.
b. Shall maintain a scrapbook containing the
chronicles and pictures of Chapter activities.
c. Shall be responsible for the promotion and
preservation of Chapter traditions.
d. Shall record and maintain the family trees.
e. Shall attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Historian.
f. Shall perform other duties as the office may require in accordance with the
Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood Standards.
g. Shall be an Active Brother of
this Chapter.
11. Webmaster
a. Shall be responsible for the upkeep of the
Chapter web page.
b. Shall update the event calendar after every
General Brotherhood Meeting, as necessary.
c. Shall upkeep the Chapter E-mail List
Serve.
d. May attend one Pledge Class Meeting for the
purpose of the Pledge Class getting to know the Webmaster.
e. Shall perform other duties as the office may
require in accordance with the Chapter Policy Manual and Brotherhood Standards.
f. Shall be an Active Brother of
this Chapter.
SECTION II - Executive Board
A. The Executive Board shall consist of the Chair of the Advisory Board and
all positions mentioned in Section I, except for Historian and Webmaster. All
members of the board shall have voting rights, except the President who only
votes as a tiebreaker.
B. Quorum of Officers must be present to perform business and enact
legislation at an Executive Board Meeting.
C. Executive Board Meetings are open to all Brothers of Alpha Delta Xi,
except by a majority vote of the Executive Board to discuss sensitive issues
regarding the Fraternity.
D. The Executive Board shall have charge of the general well-being of the
Chapter and General Brotherhood.
E. The Executive Board shall meet once after election of new Officers, but
before the newly elected Officers have been installed for the purpose of
transition. This shall be a joint meeting of the current Executive Board, and
newly elected officers. Both shall be able to vote on any question. This
meeting shall occur within a period of fourteen days or at a later date as set
by the incoming President, where all materials pertaining to an Office shall be
given to the Officer's duly elected successor.
F. The Executive Board may exercise any powers of the Chapter whenever a
question cannot be brought before the Brotherhood in a timely manner.
G. The Executive Board shall analyze any particular problems of the Chapter
pertaining to program or administration, and plan for their solution.
H. The Executive Board shall approve by a majority vote the budget presented
by the Finance Vice President.
I. Each Officer shall have any other powers or responsibilities deemed
necessary for the fulfillment of their position, subject to approval or veto by
the rest of the Executive Board.
J. All Officers shall maintain materials to aid in officer transition at the
end of their term.
K. Members of the Executive Board shall be required to attend all Executive
Board Meetings unless they are able to provide a valid reason for their
absence. The rest of the Executive Board shall have discretion over excused
absences.
L. Shall maintain healthy and active membership, encourage Brother-Pledge
interaction, and strengthen communications among Brothers and prospective
pledges.
M. Shall ensure the constant flow of new membership and retention in the
Chapter.
N. Should the Active Brotherhood fall to or below ten Brothers, the
Executive Board will consist of the President, Pledgemaster, Sergeant-At-Arms,
and Advisor Chair until such time as the Active Brotherhood exceeds ten
Brothers again. The second signature on the checks will become part of the
Sergeant-At-Arms' duties. All other Offices will not be official Offices, but
the projects and fellowships will be the responsibility of the Chapter as a
whole.
O. If the Active Brotherhood is greater than ten but less than or equal to
fifteen Brothers, Offices of the Finance Vice President and Communications
Chair shall be reinstated. All other Offices will not be official Offices, but
the projects and fellowships will be the responsibility of the Chapter as a
whole.
P. If the Active Brotherhood consists of greater than fifteen Brothers, all
Executive Board positions shall be in use.
SECTION III- Succession of Power
Succession of power shall be in this order: President, Leadership Vice
President, Service Vice President, Fellowship Vice President, Finance Vice
President, Sergeant-At-Arms, Pledgemaster, Communications Chair, and Alumni
Relations Officer.
SECTION IV - Removal From Office
A. An Officer may be removed from Office if one or more of the following
situations occur during his or her term:
1. If he or she fails to complete stated
duties.
2. If he or she goes on Associate, Probationary, or
Inactive status.
3. If he or she is enrolled in less than the
minimum number of credit hours established in Section I, Clause A-2, during his
or her term of Office.
B. A motion for impeachment of any Officer contingent on one or more of the
above situations may be made at any regularly scheduled meeting at which quorum
is held. Such a motion must stand for a period of not less than one week before
voting. A simple majority is necessary for impeachment.
C. After an impeachment investigation by the Standards Committee is made,
the rest of the procedure will commence in accordance with the Brotherhood
Standards.
ARTICLE V: Elections
A. Except when specified otherwise in this Article, all Chapter elections
shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order: Newly
Revised.
B. Members may be nominated for more than one Office, but can serve in only
one Office or appointed position. If a nominee is elected to an Office or
appointed position, he or she must decline nominations for other Offices.
C. The order of election for Officers shall be the order in which they are
listed in Article IV, Section I, Clause A, with Spring Pledge Class Namesake
being elected first in the Fall.
D. Election Eligibility
1. Current Active Brothers or those who will be
Active Brothers of this Chapter for the upcoming term of office are eligible to
vote at the election of officers.
2. Nominees for Office must have a cumulative GPA
of 2.5 or higher, effective at the start of the semester during which elections
take place.
3. Any Brother or Pledge who will qualify for
Active status in the following semester may be nominated to an Office.
E. When a position on the Executive Board becomes vacant, the President
shall notify the Brotherhood and will accept nominations for the vacant
position no sooner than one calendar week of all Active Brothers being notified
of the vacancy. After nominations are accepted, the Chapter shall, at the same
meeting, fill the vacant office by a majority vote of the Active Brotherhood
present at the meeting.
F. When the Office of President becomes vacant, the Brotherhood will vote on
the successor. Such vote will be taken at a meeting in which there is quorum,
and all rules of elections shall be followed as if it were a General
Brotherhood Election.
G. Any candidate for Office must receive the votes of a majority of the
Active Brotherhood. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, the
name of the candidate with the least number of votes shall be removed from
consideration and the voting shall proceed in this fashion until one candidate
receives a majority.
H. Open nominations shall be taken one regular General Brotherhood Meeting
prior to the scheduled elections that semester.
I. The election process shall begin two General Brotherhood Meetings prior
to the scheduled General Brotherhood Meeting of the semester in which elections
are to occur, as determined by the University's academic calendar.
J. All Officers, except for Pledgemaster, shall serve for a term of two semesters,
beginning in the Fall and ending in the Spring of an academic calendar year.
The Pledgemaster shall be elected every semester. The Officers shall be
installed at the end of the academic semester prior to their term of office.
The Brothers of this Chapter are eligible to nominate Officer Candidates.
ARTICLE VI: Meetings
A. This Chapter shall meet weekly as permitted by the
B. The Executive Board shall determine the time and place of the General
Brotherhood Meetings.
C. The parliamentary authority of the Chapter shall be the latest edition of
Robert's Rules of Order; however, there shall be no proxy votes. This Chapter
may only suspend Robert's Rules of Order if the Active Membership falls below
ten Brothers.
D. Quorum for Chapter meetings shall be a majority plus one of the Active
Brotherhood of the Chapter.
ARTICLE VII: Initiation
All Pledges meeting the requirements for Active membership as stated in
Article III, Section II shall be initiated according to the official ritual of
the National Fraternity.
ARTICLE VIII: Mailing Address
This Chapter shall maintain a permanent mailing address at:
Attn: Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Delta Xi Chapter
c/o Office of Student Activities
ARTICLE IX: Dues
This Chapter may establish reasonable initiation fees, dues, and
assessments, in addition to those established by the National Fraternity. An
affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Active brothers at a General
Brotherhood Meeting where quorum is held or at the Chapter Program Planning
Conference shall be needed to determine or change these fees.
ARTICLE X: Hazing
There shall be no hazing or informal initiation in connection with the
functions of this Chapter. Any mistreatment of Pledges, Brothers, or other
persons at any time shall be considered a violation of the purposes of this
Chapter, the National Fraternity, University policy, and the laws of the
ARTICLE XI: Housing Policy
As a Service Fraternity, this Chapter will not operate nor maintain a
fraternity house as lodging quarters for either Brothers or any other persons.
It may maintain rooms for meetings, special events, and/or storage of
Fraternity property at the discretion of the Brotherhood.
ARTICLE XII: Authority of the Organization
This Chapter may adopt amendments, rules, policies, and regulations not in
conflict with the National Articles of Incorporation, the National Bylaws, or
the rules, policies, and regulations of
ARTICLE XIII: Finance and Property
A. The Finance Vice President shall, annually, cause the appropriate local,
state, and federal income tax forms to be filed.
B. The financial records of this Chapter shall be audited annually as per
Article IV, Section I, Clause E-9, and a confirmation of the audit will be sent
to the National Office upon the request of the National Executive
Director.
C. Upon dissolution of this Chapter, a written report of any money or
property on hand shall be filed by the President with
D. Should the reactivation not be accomplished within five years of such
dissolution, such funds shall be paid to a tax-exempt organization, as defined
in Section 501c-3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
E. Any property to be purchased by the Chapter shall be purchased with
Chapter funds. This includes any supplies needed by the Officers to perform
their duties and responsibilities. All purchases to be reimbursed to
individuals shall first be pre-approved in writing by the Executive Board or
the Executive Board Brother whose budget corresponds with the purchase.
F. All Chapter financial records shall be kept in accordance with the
Chapter’s Fiscal Procedure Manual.
ARTICLE XIV: Registration of Pledges and Active Members
A. The Leadership Vice President shall mail Pledge applications and the
required National Pledge Fee to the National Office no later than ten days
after the Pledge Ceremony.
B. The Leadership Vice President shall also mail applications for Active
membership and the required National Active Initiation Fee to the National
Office no later than ten days after the Initiation Ceremony.
C. Any initiation not followed by the registration of Pledges or Actives
with the National Office shall be considered null and void.
ARTICLE XV: Big/Little Selection
A. Shall be determined by a committee of the Pledgemaster, Leadership Vice
President and President with the Pledgemaster having final authority over all
decisions made by the committee.
B. Only Active Brothers may take Littles. The only exception is in extreme
circumstances, where only the Pledgemaster may ask the Executive Board to
approve a specific Brother to take a Little.
C. Written Big Brother Applications must be handed out to the Brotherhood on
the first General Brotherhood Meeting after the first Pledge Class Meeting.
Qualifications for being a Big Brother are:
1. Active with the Chapter.
2. Financially able to give gifts during Clue
Week.
3. Able to have time to help their Little.
4. Current on Dues or having notified the Executive
Board of extenuating circumstances.
5. Must turn in application by deadline in
accordance with Article IV, Section I- B, Clause 7-i.
ARTICLE XVI: Standards Committee
A. The Standards Committee shall be comprised in accordance with the
Brotherhood Standards.
B. The Standards Committee shall meet as necessary to discuss any current
issues or attend to official business of the Standards Committee.
ARTICLE XVII: Traditions Manual
A. Shall be kept up by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
B. Shall be securely kept in an accessible location and available to all
initiated Brothers of the Chapter.
C. Shall be reviewed yearly, in the Fall by the Chapter. It shall not be
required that changes be made during the review.
D. Any changes shall require a two-thirds majority vote by the
Brotherhood.
ARTICLE XVIII: Final Authority
The Bylaws of the National Fraternity and the rules of
ARTICLE XIX: Ratification
This Constitution shall be ratified and considered in effect upon the
approval of a two-thirds majority vote of those attending a General Brotherhood
Meeting at which quorum is held.
ARTICLE XX: Amendments
SECTION I- Regular Amendments
A. All amendments to this Constitution shall be presented in writing at the
meeting in which the amendment is wished to be considered. Such written
amendments shall include the purpose for the amendment and the rationale for
why it should be adopted.
B. These amendments shall be announced at two consecutive General
Brotherhood Meetings and be distributed to all Active Brothers during this
time.
C. Open discussion shall follow each proposed amendment.
D. The meeting after the announcement meetings, when quorum is held, the
vote shall occur and two-thirds approval of the General Brotherhood is needed
to amend this Constitution.
SECTION II- Constitutional Review
A. The Constitutional Review shall convene to review this Constitution, the
Chapter Policy Manual, Brotherhood Standards, Chapter Distinguished Service Key
Manual and Chapter Fiscal Procedure Manual.
B. It shall be held every Spring, with multiple meetings, but lasting no
longer than two weeks from start to finish.
C. The Sergeant-At-Arms will be the Chair of all Constitutional Review
Committee Meetings.
D. When the Active Brotherhood reaches or exceeds fifteen Brothers, the
Constitutional Review Committee shall be comprised of four Brothers, not
including the Sergeant-At-Arms.
1. The four Brothers shall be voted on at a General
Brotherhood Meeting, in which quorum is held, before the Constitutional Review
convenes.
2. The four Brothers will be approved by a majority
vote of the Brotherhood.
3. The four Brothers will be present at every
Constitutional Review Meeting, unless the Sergeant-At-Arms is notified in
writing of extenuating circumstances.
E. The voting on all amendments presented by the Sergeant-At-Arms or the
Constitutional Review Committee shall take place before elections take place.
F. Discussion on amendments shall take place at the Constitutional Review
Meetings, not during General Brotherhood Meetings, unless the President chooses
to allow discussion during the General Brotherhood Meeting.
G. Voting on the Constitutional Review Committee amendments shall take place
at the General Brotherhood Meeting, in which quorum is held, following the last
meeting of the Constitutional Review Committee. A two-week process is not
required, as with regular amendments.
H. A two-thirds majority vote of the General Brotherhood is required to
approve the Constitutional Review Committee’s amendments.
I. No Constitutional Amendments shall be brought to the Brotherhood during
the time a Constitutional Review Committee is in session.
SECTION III- Approved Amendments
All amendments shall take effect immediately upon their approval.