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Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Delta Xi Chapter Distinguished Service Key Manual

Last Amended April 2009
 

Proceedings

Chapter Distinguished Service Key Proceedings shall be held in the spring semester of each academic year. 

Chapter Distinguished Service Key Proceedings shall be held at a different time than the regularly scheduled Brotherhood and Executive Board meetings.  The Executive Board of the chapter will determine the date, time, and place of the Chapter Distinguished Service Key meeting.

All Active and Associate Brothers may participate in the Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting. Associate Brothers are granted voting rights for a Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting. If other Brothers or Advisors are present they are not granted speaking or voting privileges for the Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting. Other Brothers or Advisors may be granted speaking privileges if recognized by the chair of the board for each time they wish to speak. An Advisor must be present to assist in counting of ballots. Pledges may attend but cannot participate in Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meetings. Quorum must be held to proceed with nomination and voting of Brothers. In the event quorum is not held, the Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting will be rescheduled.

A Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting will be called to order by the chair of the board.  The chair of the board will be the President or highest ranking Executive Board member in compliance with Article IV, Section III of this Chapter’s Constitution.  The Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting must follow the prescribed rules of parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order, as accepted by the Chapter at hand, and enforced by the Sergeant-At-Arms or Parliamentarian. Brothers will be nominated, discussed, and voted on one at a time. There is no limit on the number of Chapter Distinguished Service Key Recipients. Chapter Distinguished Service Keys do not have to be awarded.

Nominations for Chapter Distinguished Service Key Recipients

Nomination can be made only by an Active or Associate Brother of the Chapter, and can recognize any brother of Alpha Phi Omega, excluding Regional and Sectional Staff in regards to accomplishments and service rendered to Section or Region. Regional and Sectional Staff who have gone beyond their duties in helping this Chapter would be eligible for a Distinguished Service Key. Advisors are acceptable. Chapter Distinguished Service Keys should recognize Brothers of Alpha Delta Xi Chapter.

Any Brother who wishes to nominate another Brother for the Chapter Distinguished Service Key must be present at the Chapter Distinguished Service Key Meeting.

An Active or Associate Brother other than the original nominator must second each Nomination. The nominated brother does not have to be in attendance to accept the nomination.

Discussion

The nominated Brother should stand and only state the particular positions he or she has held in the Brotherhood, projects chaired, or Fraternity awards received. This is not a time for personal accomplishments not related to the Chapter. The Brother shall then leave the room for the discussion. Brothers then hold discussion on the pros and cons of the nominee. A Brother should only speak when recognized by the Chair of the Board. The discussion time on the nominated Brother shall be at the discretion of the Chair of the Board. The discussion time limit is encouraged to be no more than fifteen minutes. After all who wish to speak have spoken, discussion is then closed. The pros and cons discussion should be kept in the confidentiality of those who witness the discussion.

Voting

After discussion is closed secret ballots shall be passed out by the Sergeant-At-Arms to voting Brothers only. A Brother must be present in order to vote.

Active and Associate Brothers vote yes, no, or abstain.

The votes are collected by the Sergeant-At-Arms and then he or she leaves the room with one Advisor to count the votes.

A Nominee must have a minimum two-thirds majority vote of non-abstaining votes in order to receive the Chapter Distinguished Service Key. Recipients of the Chapter Distinguished Service Key shall not be announced at the meeting, and should remain secret to all except the Sergeant-At-Arms, the Advisor who counted the ballots and others deemed necessary by the Chapter. If the Sergeant-At-Arms or an Advisor is nominated for the Chapter Distinguished Service Key, they shall not know the results of the vote until such time is proper and other members of the Executive Board who are not nominated for a Chapter Distinguished Service Key will take the responsibility for counting the ballots.