Chapter Rules

Alpha Omega
Chapter Rules

Article I: Name
The Name of this chapter shall be Alpha Omega Chapter, The North Carolina (Eta State) State Organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.

Article II: Object (Purposes, Mission and Vision)
A. The purposes of the Alpha Omega Chapter shall be the seven purposes of the Delta Kappa Gamma International and those of Eta State Organization. In addition, the chapter will uphold the mission statement of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.

B. Alpha Omega Chapter shall use the Delta Kappa Gamma vision statement on all chapter communications to members and the public: Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide and Eta State's adopted vision statement: Voices of Influence Empowering North Carolina Women Educators.

Article III: Membership
A. The membership of Alpha Omega is in accordance with the Constitution, Article III, and the International Standing Rules, 3. The chapter has full authority for the administration of membership which shall be composed of active, reserve and honorary members.

An active member shall be a woman who is employed as a professional educator at the time of her election or has been retired from an educational position. An active member shall participate in the activities of the Society.
Reserve members shall be former members who are unable to participate in the activities of the chapter because of physical disability and /or geographical location. Reserve status shall be granted by a majority vote of the chapter. A reserve member, so requesting, shall be restored to active memberships.
Honorary members shall be women not eligible for active membership who have rendered notable service to education or to women and who are elected to honorary membership in recognition of such service. They shall be privileged in all activities except that of holding office.

B. Guidelines and procedures for Alpha Omega Chapter membership.

Women living or working in the chapter geographic area shall be considered for membership.
Recommendation for Membership (Form 11) shall be available at each regular chapter meeting.
Recommendation for Membership (Form 11) shall be completed by the sponsor and returned to the Membership Committee chairman by February 1st.
New members shall be elected at the March meeting by secret ballot and approved by 4/5 of the members in attendance.
A written invitation to become a member of Alpha Omega Chapter shall be sent to each prospective member by the Membership Committee chairman.
Prospective members should be contacted and given information by the sponsor, the chapter president or the Membership Committee chairman within a week after invitations are mailed.
Members-elect shall be asked to respond in writing within two weeks after receiving the invitation. a. If an invitation is refused for reasons acceptable to the Membership Committee, the person maybe considered for future membership b. The name of the person may be submitted for membership no more than three times.
After responses are received, the Membership Committee, chapter officers and sponsors shall hold an orientation session for the members-elect before or at the annual workshop.
An initiation ceremony shall be conducted for new members at the chapter's May meeting following the guidelines in the Delta Kappa Gamma Handbook and the Ceremonies book.

C. Alpha Omega chapter members follow attendance policies.

Members unable to attend a meeting are required to call or email the Secretary by the deadline date given in the Alpha Omega Chapter Newsletter or an email notification in lieu of the newsletter.
A member who does not call or email by the deadline or does not attend the meeting will be billed by the treasurer for the meal.
Members who fail to attend two meetings per year without a valid excuse shall be contacted by the Membership Committee.

D. Membership in the Society is terminated for non-payment of dues and fees, resignation or death. The chapter treasure shall report to the state treasurer the record of all memberships terminated, including the reasons and the dates of termination.

E. The recording secretary shall record in the chapter or executive board meeting minutes the name of any members whose membership is terminated. The record shall include the reason the and the date of termination.

F. A former member shall be reinstated to membership by the chapter receiving the request.

Article IV: Finances
A. Financial matters of Alpha Omega Chapter are in accordance with the Constitution, International Standing Rules and the Eta State Organization Bylaws.

B. Alpha Omega Chapter shall maintain four funds. (Assessments [or fees] for State and International scholarships and World Fellowship are set amounts included in the chapter members' dues.)

The available fund shall be for chapter operations and shall require a budget.
The permanent fund, developed from savings over time, may be used for chapter needs and activities with the approval of the Finance Committee and the authorization of the Executive Board.
The awards fund, which includes grants-in-aids, comes from the chapter members' and guests' five dollar donations made at the December meeting as well as monies raised from Educational Awards Committee activities.
The social fund is petty cash maintained by the treasurer to meet immediate needs related to the chapter meetings.

a. Petty cash is derived from the $1.00 social fee paid by members to meet immediate needs related to chapter meetings.
b. Amounts in excess of $50.00 shall be given to and deposited by the treasurer into the chapter available fund.

C. Alpha Omega receives dues as well as income from other sources.

Annual dues shall be required of active and reserve members of the chapter. Said dues shall be $72.00 for active members and $30.00 for reserve members. A lifetime fee of $50.00 for the international publications shall be paid for each honorary member at the time of the initiation. This fee shall be paid by the initiating unit of the Society.
Chapter dues are controlled by Alpha Omega Chapter shall be determined annually by chapter vote no later than the May meeting of the fiscal year.
Alpha Omega Chapter members may vote to pay an amount in addition to dues and fees for the support of a chapter or state organization project.
All new members [except those entering with honorary status] shall pay, in addition to their dues. a $10.00 initiation fee of which $5.00 is retained by the chapter, $2.50 is sent to the state, and $2.50 is sent to International.
Dues can be paid any time between the May meeting and October 15th.
Options for payment of dues for the upcoming fiscal year are to pay in two installments in May and August or to pay three installments in May, August and October. The treasurer shall notify the chapter presidents of the members who have not paid their dues after both the annual August workshop and regular October meetings have been held.
If dues are not paid by October 31st, the treasurer must drop the nonpaying member from the chapter roll.
The nonpaying member shall be notified in writing by the chapter president on behalf of the Executive Board that she has been dropped as a result of non-payment of due and fees.

D. The treasurer manages expenditures and disbursements according to policies.

Annual chapter, state and international dues and fees shall be collected by the chapter treasurer by October 15th and forwarded to the state treasurer by October 31st.
All chapter expenses shall be approved by the president.
The treasurer shall pay all outstanding chapter bills submitted with an invoice or receipt containing the name of the purchaser and the purpose of the expenditure.
The treasurer is responsible for disbursing awards funds.
The treasurer, after receiving appropriate records, pays expenditures incurred by the chapter president for state, regional and international meetings.
The treasurer, as funds are available, pays full or partial expenses of other officers and members for state, regional and international meetings.
The treasurer shall pay for gifts purchased within the following guidelines:

a. One red rose is sent to the family of a deceased member.
      b. One red rose is sent to the member at the death of a spouse, a child or a member's mother or father.
   c. One red rose is sent to a member who is hospitalized; a card is sent if a member is confined at home with an illness.
      d. Each retiree will receive a gift purchased by the chapter.
      e. A guest speaker is given a gift representative of the time and place of presentation.

The outgoing chapter president will present the honorary president's pin [given by Peggy Koonce] to the incoming president. The treasurer shall order the outgoing president a president's pin at the chapter's expense.
Special recognition of a member's death shall be financed by the chapter dues for up to 2-3 family members of the deceased.

E. The treasurer makes chapter, state and international reports as well as IRS reports.

The treasurer is responsible for presenting a current financial report at each Executive Board meeting, regular chapter meeting and in the chapter newsletter.
The treasurer is responsible for the required reports to state and international headquarters respecting the fiscal year of the Society, July 1st to June 30th inclusively.

Article V: Organization
A. Business of Alpha Omega Chapter shall be conducted at the regular meetings or special meetings called by the president.

B. Alpha Omega Chapter shall govern the conduct of its business in a manner consistent with the Constitution, the International Standing Rules, the Eta State Bylaws, the Eta State Standing Rules and the Alpha Omega Chapter Rules.

Article VI: Officers and Related Personnel
A. Alpha Omega Chapter officers and appointed personnel shall perform duties as specified in the Constitution, VI: the Eta State Bylaws and as authorized in the Alpha Omega Chapter Rules.

Alpha Omega chapter officers shall be president, first vice president, second vice president, recording secretary, treasurer and parliamentarian.
The term of elected officers shall be two years or until a successor is named. No officer except the treasurer may serve in the same office longer than two terms in succession. Officers shall take office on July 1st following their election.
The first vice-president shall guide the chapter toward educational excellence.
The second vice-president shall update and prepare the information for the chapter handbooks and state organization directory. She shall send copies of the chapter handbook to appropriate state officials.
The recording secretary shall record the minutes of the board meetings and chapter meetings and shall publish the chapter newsletter. She shall be a member of the bylaws/standing rules committee.
The treasurer shall be selected by the Executive Board at the last board meeting of the biennium.
The treasurer shall maintain a record of receipts, bills, canceled checks and bank statements.
The treasurer shall submit for annual audit/financial review the accounts of the organization. An audit shall be performed when a new treasurer is appointed.
A parliamentarian is appointed by the chapter president.
The president shall fill by appointment any vacancies in office.

B. Alpha Omega Chapter follows policies for the nominations elections and installations of officers.

Nominations for offices shall be submitted by the Nominations Committee made up of four members who represent the different Alpha Omega Chapter communities. Each member is appointed by the president for a term of two years.
The committee shall submit the name of one consenting nominee for each elective office.
The slate of officers, with the candidate qualifications, shall be presented and voted upon at the March meeting of even numbered years.
After the report of the committee has been made, additional nominations may be made from the floor with the consent of the nominees.
If there is but one nominee for an office, elections may be made verbally by majority vote. When there is more than one nominee for an office, election shall be by ballot with majority vote.
The Nominations Committee shall prepare the ballot and conduct the election(s).
The Nomination Committee shall be responsible for the installation ceremony of the new officers to include preparation and presentation of a list of respected duties.

Article VII:Meetings
A. A minimum of four regular meetings shall be held annually on the first Thursday in October, December, March and May. Regular meetings are meetings where chapter business is conducted.

B. An annual workshop meeting shall be held in late summer for planning and leadership development.

C. One half plus one of the chapter membership constitutes a quorum for regular meetings.

D. Two-thirds of the active membership constitutes a quorum for a called meeting.

Article VIII: Executive Board
A. The members of the Executive Board shall be elected officers, the immediate chapter past president, the treasurer and the parliamentarian.

B. The treasure shall serve as an ex-officio member without vote if under remunerative contract for her service.

C. The parliamentarian shall serve as an ex-officio member without vote.

D. Other members of committees participate by request or invitation.

E. The general duties of the Executive Board include:

Recommending approved policies and procedures for consideration by chapter members
Determining time and place of chapter meetings.
Acting in the interim between meetings upon matters requiring immediate decisions.
Establishing rules for the budget development and supervision of chapter finances.
Selecting a treasurer for the biennium.
Deciding on the disposition of the Society jewelry that has been returned to the chapter.

F. A minimum of two Executive Board meetings are held annually.
G. Regular Executive Board meetings are held preceding regular chapter meetings.
H. The president may call a special board meeting or cancel a regular board meeting.
I. The chapter Executive Board may meet through electronic communication as long as all members may simultaneously hear one another and participate during the meeting.
J. An Executive Board quorum is a majority of its voting members.
K. The chapter president shall serve as a member of the Eta State Executive Board.

Article IX: Committees
A. Alpha Omega Chapter may fulfill its constitutional responsibilities by establishing committees as needed.

All standing committee chairmen shall be appointed by the president for a term of two years.
Committees are appointed by the president unless exceptions are listed.
A Nominations Committee may be elected or appointed
Special committees shall be appointed by the president for a specific need are dissolved after making a final report to the chapter.
The president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominations Board.
Committee expenses shall be submitted to the treasurer according to Alpha Omega Chapter Rules, Article IV.

7. Duties of the committee chairmen are as follows:
a. Coordinate committee planning and implementation of goals and activities for the year.
b. Keep a current file of committee activities.
c. Send necessary reports to the state chairmen by the designated dates.
d. Present a report of continuing committee activities at the chapter meetings when needed.
e. Purchase and present a gift to a program guest when appropriate.

B. Alpha Omega Chapter standing committees shall include Society Mission and Purposes Committees and Society Business.
Society Mission and Purposes Committees shall include:
a. Educational Awards
b. Educational Law and Policy
c. Leadership Development
d. Literacy
e. Membership and Expansion
f. Music
g. US Forum
h. World Fellowship
i. Educational Excellence

Society Business Committee shall include:

a. Communications and Publicity
b. Finance
c. Hostess
d. Nominations
e. Rules

C. Specific duties of standing committees shall be established by Alpha Omega Chapter, Eta State, and/or International.

Duties of Society Mission and Purposes Committees shall be designated. a. The Educational Awards Committee shall maintain a chapter awards program with the treasurer receiving and distributing funds at all levels. 1) The Educational Awards Committee, with the treasurer, shall review chapter awards financial records kept according to the following: a) A column is designated in bookkeeping records for the awards fund. b) Awards money is placed in saving/money market certificate or other means of earning the top interest rate, as long as it not needed and can be removed yearly without penalty. c) A five dollar donation from each member and guest who attend the December is designated for the awards fund. d) The awards fund consists of five dollar December meeting donations and monies from Educational Awards Committee activities. e) The awards fund is used at the discretion of the Educational Awards Committee.
The Educational Awards Committee shall annually give awards to women who desire to further their careers in the field of education. a) A grant-in-aid shall be given each year to an eligible high school senior applicant from Beaufort or Hyde Counties based upon academics, character and potential. b) A grant-in-aid shall be given each year to a student who attends Beaufort County Community College. c) An active educator from Beaufort or Hyde Counties shall be given a grant-in-aid each year.
The Educational Awards Committee shall select grant-in-aid recipients according to the following guidelines: a) Distribute applications by February 1st annually. b) Applications for high school seniors are sent to the guidance counselors of each high school. c) Applications for active teachers will be sent to principals of all schools in Beaufort and Hyde Counties. d) Completed applications should be received by the Educational Awards Committee by March 15th. e) The selection is made by a committee determined by the Educational Awards Committee with respect to geographic representation. f) The recipients will be announced at the April Executive Board meeting and will be presented to the chapter at the regular May meeting.
The Educational Awards Committee will have continuing responsibilities as follows: a) Maintain contact with recipients. b) Report to the chapter. c) Publicize information about local grant-in-aid recipients and state and/or international scholarship recipients when applicable. d) Encourage chapter members to apply for grants-in-aid and/or state and international scholarships.

b. The duties of the Educational Law and Policy Committee are as follows:

Educate members in strategies to impact educational policy.
Promote activities that garner support for education at the local and state levels.

c. The duties of the Leadership Development Committee are as follows:

Encourage participation in the Eta State Leadership Development Seminar.
Raise awareness of leadership opportunities among chapter members.
Encourage participation at Society state, regional and international meetings.

d. The duties of the Literacy Committee are as follows:

To promote literacy projects in Beaufort and Hyde Counties.
To inform members of current literacy needs.

e. The responsibilities of the Membership and Expansion Committee are as follows:

Have copies of Form 11, Recommendation for Membership, available at each regular chapter meeting.
Encourage members to seek suitable candidates and mentor them as sponsors.
Read the qualifications for membership as listed in the Alpha Omega Chapter rules at the March meeting.
Review Recommendations for Membership by April 1st and prepare to present the candidates' names to the chapter membership.
Keep an accurate record of invitations sent and written replies made by those accepting or declining membership. Submit copies to the recording secretary to be filed with chapter minutes.
Implement procedures for election of new members in May and their initiation in October as stated in Article III of the Alpha Omega Chapter Rules.
Submit a list of names and addresses of members-elect to the chapter president, president, second vice president, and treasurer at the May meeting.
Conduct an orientation of members-elect as planned with the president.
Maintain and accurate data profile on each member and update yearly.
Conduct periodic reorientation for chapter members.
Maintain necrology records and submit reports to the state by the designated date.
Plan and present a memorial service at the first regular meeting of the year for the deceased member.

f. The duties of the Music Committee are as follows:

Plan for the use of music as an integral part of the program at each meeting.
Present a program at one chapter meeting each year.
Maintain and distribute song sheets as needed.

g. The duties of the US Forum Committee are as follows:

To inform members of current activities of the Legislature and Congress that affect education.
Inform members of local (and/or state) voting rules
Encourage members to support women who hold office and are noted for their support of education.

h. The duties of the World Fellowship Committee are as follows:

Inform chapter members about World Fellowship grants to women from other countries.
Encourage chapter members to contact World Fellowship recipients who are attending colleges and universities in North Carolina.
Consider conducting special projects to promote work of the international World Fellowship Committee.
Collect donations from chapter members at each May meeting for an additional contribution to World Fellowship funds other than the one dollar assessment in chapter dues/

i. The Educational Excellence Committee consists of the chairmen of each of the Alpha Omega Chapter Society Mission and Purposes committees. The chapter first vice-president shall serve as its chairman.

2. Duties of the Society Business Committees shall be designated.
a. The Communications and Publicity Committee shall perform six functions of communications for the members and/or for publicity about the chapter and the Society through local media and the Eta State News.

The Al[ha Omega Chapter Newsletter is published five times annually prior to chapter meetings and has a continuing editor who sends copies to the chapter members and specified Eta State officials.
The photography chairman makes a pictorial record of significant events during the biennium and forwards pictures to the scrapbook chairman.
The scrapbook chairman maintains the history of Alpha Omega Chapter and encourages members to submit memorabilia.
The second vice-president prepares a handbook at the beginning of each even-numbered year and prepares an addendum to the handbook at the beginning of odd-numbered years. She distributes copies of the yearbook or addendum to each chapter member annually.
The calling tree shall be activated by the chairmen of the seven hostess committees-Bath, Belhaven, Hyde, Aurora/Chocowinity and Washington I,II, and III- to inform chapter members of significant events or to ensure the "gifts" sections of the Alpha Omega Chapter Rules, Article IV, is executed.
The chairman of each hostess committee shall submit an article about each chapter meeting to the local newspaper immediately after the meeting is held.

b. The duties of the Finance Committee consisting of the chapter president, treasurer and the immediate past chapter president are as follows:

Develop an annual budget and present it for approval first to the Executive Board and then to the membership for approval no later than the first regular meeting of the fiscal year.
Supervise the administration of chapter funds according to procedures in Article IV of Alpha Omega Chapter Rules.
Appoint two chapter members to conduit an audit of chapter financial records biennially.
Make recommendations for changes in dues no later than the annual workshop meeting and notify all members prior to that meeting.

c. The duties of the Hostess Committee [Aurora/Chocowinity, Bath, Belhaven, Hyde and Washington I, II and III] are as follows:

Reserve site for the meeting.
Send location and cost of meal to chapter secretary for the newsletter and /or email notification.
Have committee member(s) at the door to greet members and guests and to assist with the collection of meal payment.
Prepare a devotion and blessing for the meal.
Write and submit newspaper article for the meeting.
Attend to the "gift" needs of hostess committee members according to the guidelines in Alpha Omega Chapter Rules, Article IV, D, 6.
Submit receipts for the meeting costs [decorations, paper products, etc] to the treasurer for reimbursement.

d. The duties of the Nominations Committee are as follows:

Solicit suggestions for officers from members
Present a slate of officers to the Executive Board in February and to the chapter membership in March of the second year of the biennium.
Prepare a ballot and conduct an election when an additional nominee is presented to the floor.

e. The duties of the Rules Committee are as follows:

Receive proposals fro amending or adding Alpha Omega Chapter Rules
Study all proposals.
Present recommendations to the Executive Board. (A recommendation shall be approved by two-thirds vote of the board before being submitted to the membership.)
Inform the person(s) who submitted the proposal(s) about the decision(s) immediately after the Executive Board meeting.
Present board approved recommendations to chapter membership.
After a majority vote by chapter members, make changes in the Alpha Omega Chapter Rules.
Make changes when necessary to coordinate with Eta State and International rules.

Article X: Activities
A. Alpha Omega Chapter meets five times a year.
B. Alpha Omega Chapter publishes the " Alpha Omega Chapter Newsletter" five times a year.
C. The chapter president approves the publications.
D. Special funds and/or awards may be created by the Executive Board and approved by the membership.

The term grant-in-aid shall represent the general category of awards granted by the state organization and chapter that are supported by the funds other than the scholarship fee.
The specific title of grant-in-aid is the choice of the presenter.

Article XI: Dissolution
A. Before a chapter is dissolved, the approval of the Eta State Executive Board must be obtained.
B. Careful consideration shall be given to the manner in which those desiring to maintain membership transfer to other chapters. International procedures must be followed.
C. Any remaining funds in the chapter account shall be sent to the state organization treasurer and deposited in the available fund.
D. The chapter charter, paraphernalia and records shall be delivered to the state organization.
E. The Eta State Executive Board shall decide whether the Greek name shall be reused or not.

Article XII: Parliamentary Authority
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (current edition) is designated for the governance of the chapter in all instances which the authority is not inconsistent with the Constitution or other adopted Society Rules.

Article XIII: Amendments
A. The Executive Board shall review the bylaws/standing rules at least once during the biennium.
B. Proposed changes may be submitted to the Rules Committee by an individual member or an entire committee (see Alpha Omega Chapter Rules, Article VIII.)
C. Proposals not approved by the Rules Committee procedure may be resubmitted to the chapter president in writing with the signatures of supporters and a request for presentation to members at a chapter meeting.
D. Alpha Omega Chapter Rules may be amended at chapter meetings with a majority vote.

Date of last amendment(s)-
Date of last revision- November 11, 2014