The Bylaws of the Gamma Tau Chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity

Last modified Wed, 14 Oct 2009

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Preamble

The Gamma Tau Chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity was chartered December 19th, 1970. The purpose of the Chapter is to remain a relatively small group of friends who hold close fraternal ties in the original tradition of social fraternities. The Chapter strives to achieve the original goals of friendship and service for which the Psi Upsilon Fraternity was founded.

The bylaws of the Gamma Tau Chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity have been created to provide order and organization for the Gamma Tau Chapter in any endeavors that they undertake. It is the responsibility of each MEMBER of the Gamma Tau Chapter to abide by these bylaws and to bring to the attention of the other MEMBERs any violations of these bylaws that they may witness.

ARTICLE I: The Bylaws

Section 1: Definitions

As used in these bylaws, the term:

Section 2: Ratification and Amendments

Law 1: Ratification

  1. These bylaws must be approved by a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY favorable vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD during a regularly scheduled Brother's Meeting. Once approved, these bylaws render void all previous bylaws and conflicting motions of the Gamma Tau Chapter.

Law 2: Amendments

The following procedure shall be used to amend the bylaws:

  1. A bylaw amendment must be brought up during the new business portion of a regularly scheduled Brother's Meeting. The proposed amendment will then be discussed.
  2. Once discussion has been completed, the proposed amendment will be automatically tabled for two weeks.
  3. The proposed amendment will be discussed again during the old business portion of the next regularly scheduled Brother's Meeting following this two-week period.
  4. When discussion has concluded, the meeting chairman shall call for a motion to vote and upon receiving a second, a vote shall be taken.
  5. For an amendment to be adopted it must receive a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY of favorable votes of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.

Section 3: Bylaw Policies

Law 1: Conflicts

  1. No part of these bylaws may be in conflict with or in violation of the precepts of Psi Upsilon, the International Constitution, the Ritual, or any national, state, university, or local laws or regulations.
  2. If a section of the bylaws is ruled to be in conflict with or in violation of the before mentioned documents, that section will be immediately deemed null, void and non-enforceable. The parliamentarian or his appointee will immediately draft a proposal to amend the bylaws to correct the section in conflict.
  3. If a question of how to interpret any part of these bylaws occurs, the following procedure shall be used to resolve the issue:
    1. The parliamentarian, or in his absence the President, shall present his interpretation of the passage in question.
    2. At this time, any ACTIVE BROTHER may motion to reject the interpretation presented. If there is a second, the President shall call for a vote. The vote requires a SIMPLE MAJORITY of favorable votes of those ACTIVE BROTHERs present to pass.
    3. If the motion passes, other interpretations may be presented and voted upon. Any interpretation presented requires a SIMPLE MAJORITY of favorable votes to be accepted. Votes shall be taken until an acceptable interpretation is agreed upon.
    4. Once an interpretation is agreed upon, an ACTIVE BROTHER shall be chosen to write a Bylaw amendment to clarify the passage in question and in such a way that agrees with the decided upon interpretation.

Law 2: Deference

  1. These bylaws defer to Roberts Rules of Order for any definitions or procedures that are not formally defined herein or in the ritual.

ARTICLE II: Membership

Section 1: Pledges

Law 1: Definitions

  1. A PLEDGE is a person who has been offered a bid, accepted that bid, and has been through the installation ceremony, but has not been through the initiation ceremony or otherwise ended their pledgeship.
  2. A PLEDGE TERM is the period of time between initiations.

Law 2: Requirements

  1. A PLEDGE must complete the following requirements before he will be considered for initiation:
    1. Complete the entire New Member Education program and then pass the Chapter and International tests over the material.
    2. Design and construct a paddle and have it signed by each ACTIVE BROTHER and PLEDGE. The paddle should be designed as to allow it to be easily hung up on display and carried around by the PLEDGE. The paddle should be completed and all signatures collected a minimum of two weeks before the initiation ceremony.
    3. Attend a PLEDGE outing planned by the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD by which time the PLEDGE class shall have elected a PLEDGE class President and Treasurer, set the PLEDGE dues, and chosen a big BROTHER if they have not already done so.
    4. Pay his PLEDGE dues and initiation fee.
    5. Participate in one or more philanthropy events (to be approved by the philanthropy chairman) totaling not less than 10 hours.
    6. Help the PLEDGE class plan and organize a Social event (to be approved by the Vice President of External Affairs) and then be present to participate in the entire event.
    7. Help the PLEDGE class plan and organize a project (to be approved by the Vice President of the House) to improve the Chapter House in a lasting and permanent manner and then be present to participate in the entire event.
    8. Have a minimum GPA of 2.2 for the previous semester.
  2. The Psi Upsilon Pledge Pin must be worn at all times except when it is impractical, such as during participation in athletic events or while sleeping.
  3. A PLEDGE must complete the entire initiation Ritual.
  4. ACTIVE BROTHERS, INACTIVE BROTHERS, and ALUMNI who had held ACTIVE status during the most recently concluded Fall or Spring semester and are present at the voting meeting are referred to in this law as the "ELIGIBLE BROTHERHOOD". In order for a PLEDGE to be initiated, he must be voted into the brotherhood by the ELIGIBLE BROTHERHOOD. Only PLEDGES that have met all of the requirements in part one of this section will be considered. There will be no more than 3 meetings per calendar year where a vote is taken to initiate PLEDGE(S), and no fewer than 1, provided that there exist any MEMBERs with PLEDGE status. The process for conducting the vote on the initiation of PLEDGES is as follows:
    1. A vote, by secret ballot, will be taken of the ELIGIBLE BROTHERHOOD. Three types of votes may be cast for this ballot:
      1. YES - The voting BROTHER wishes the PLEDGE to be initiated into Psi Upsilon.
      2. NO - The voting BROTHER wishes for the PLEDGE to maintain his PLEDGE status and not be initiated at this time.
      3. VETO - The voting BROTHER has irreconcilable issues with the PLEDGE and strongly opposes his initiation at this time.
    2. Non-personal vote totals are to be recorded for the purpose outlined in Way 3. Any such results must be obliterated before any other PLEDGE may be initiated. They will consist of the total votes cast in each of the three categories (YES, NO, or VETO).
    3. After each vote, the votes will be tallied and interpreted as follows:
      1. If the pledge receives a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY of YES votes from the ELIGIBLE BROTHERHOOD and zero votes of VETO, then the pledge is initiated.
      2. If the pledge receives ten percent (rounded down, to a minimum of 2) or greater votes of VETO on a single vote tally, then the remainder of the votes (consisting of YES and NO votes) is discarded, and the PLEDGE is not initiated. A motion to EXPEL the PLEDGE will immediately be placed on the table to be discussed at the next regularly scheduled Brother's meeting. The procedure for this vote is outlined in Section 5 Law 1 of these Bylaws.
      3. If the pledge receives any votes of VETO below the threshold in part 'ii' and/or fails to earn a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY of YES votes from the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD, then discussion is reopened. Following this discussion, a second vote will occur. The procedure for this vote shall differ from the first in following Ways:
        1. If the PLEDGE receives no votes of VETO, but does not receive a 3/4 majority of YES votes, then the pledge is not initiated.
        2. If the PLEDGE receives between one and 10 per cent votes of VETO, and this is not a third or later vote on the same PLEDGE during the same meeting, then the remainder of the votes is discarded and discussion is reopened. Following this discussion another vote will occur by the procedure in Way 3.
        3. If the vote is a third or greater vote, and the total results have not changed from the previous vote, then this will be the final vote and the results stand. In this case, any remaining votes of VETO will be counted as NO votes. A THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY of YES votes from the ELIGBLE BROTHERHOOD are required to initiate, as per normal procedure.
  5. Any PLEDGE who does not get initiated in one PLEDGE TERM and wishes to continue their pledgeship must do the following:
    1. Have their pledgeship renewed by the BROTHERHOOD within one month of the start of the PLEDGE TERM.
    2. Re-complete the requirements outlined above under PLEDGE requirements. Re-completion of any or all of these requirements may be waived by a simple majority vote of the BROTHERHOOD.

Law 3: Rights and Privileges

  1. PLEDGEs may not attend any portion of a meeting that deals with matters of membership, initiation, the Ritual, or any other secret business of the chapter.
  2. PLEDGEs may not take part in any official vote.
  3. During the PLEDGE period each PLEDGE should be made to feel that he has a part in the affairs of the Chapter, and he should be required to attend meetings except as specified above. The PLEDGEs should be encouraged to take an active part in the social professional and athletic programs of the Chapter. PLEDGEs should be urged to live in the Chapter House. If a PLEDGE is unable to do this, he should be encouraged to visit the Chapter House frequently to associate with the MEMBERs.
  4. PLEDGEs shall be encouraged to take part in special or routine work of a constructive nature in and about the Chapter House to the advantage of the Chapter. All special or routine duties shall be shared equally among PLEDGEs and ACTIVE BROTHERs.
  5. There shall be NO activity or function required of a PLEDGE by any MEMBER of Psi Upsilon which violates the precepts of Psi Upsilon, the National Constitution, the Chapter bylaws, or which violates any national, state, or university laws or regulations.
  6. If a conflict of interest exists between a PLEDGE and his big brother, as determined by a SIMPLE MAJORITY of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD, the PLEDGE shall choose a new big brother from the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.

Section 2: BROTHERs

Law 1: Definition

  1. An ACTIVE BROTHER is a person who has been initiated and is currently enrolled as a graduate or undergraduate student at the Georgia Insitute of Technology.
  2. Any ACTIVE BROTHER, at his or her request, may be granted ALUMNUS status for a semester, with the added responsibility of paying his or her international dues, if one of the following conditions applies:
    1. The BROTHER is taking his or her official semester break (as defined by the Georgia Institute of Technology) and is not residing in the Chapter House.
    2. The BROTHER is on his or her co-op work semester.
    3. The BROTHER is a graduate student.
    4. The BROTHER is on his graduating semester at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
  3. An ACTIVE BROTHER who, due to personal duress including academics, finances, or health, cannot bear his share of the Chapter's financial burden for the semester may petition (in person or in writing) for INACTIVE status at or before the second meeting of the semester.
    1. INACTIVE BROTHERS may not attend any Ritual event or Chapter meeting.
    2. INACTIVE BROTHERS should exhaust every means at his disposal to return to ACTIVE BROTHER status the next semester following his semester with INACTIVE BROTHER status.
    3. INACTIVE BROTHERS may become ACTIVE BROTHERS at any point during their INACTIVE status by full payment of their financial obligation to the Chapter.
  4. All BROTHERs shall be considered ACTIVE BROTHERs for a given semester and will be held responsible for meeting all of the requirements associated with that status unless:
    1. The BROTHER formally requests, in person or in writing, for temporary ALUMNUS status at or before the second Brother's Meeting of the semester.
    2. The BROTHER is SUSPENDED or granted INACTIVE BROTHER status.
    3. The BROTHER has been previously SUSPENDED for a term that will not expire before the first Brother's Meeting of the semester.
    4. The BROTHER is an ALUMNUS.

Law 2: Status Resolution

  1. At the second meeting of the semester, all petitions for INACTIVE status should be reviewed by the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.
  2. Each request must be approved by a THREE-FORTHS MAJORITY of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD, not including those BROTHERS who have petitioned for INACTIVE status.
  3. ACTIVE BROTHERS who have been continuously delinquient in payment of dues may be SUSPENDED as per Article II, Section 5, Law 2.

Law 3: Requirements:

  1. Each ACTIVE BROTHER will have set upon him the personal responsibility to meet the following financial obligations:
    1. Payment of monies by any BROTHER must be applied first towards any debt they may owe to the Chapter. No monies paid by said persons may be applied towards dues, social events, or any other Chapter related items or events for the current semester until their entire outstanding debt is paid in full.
    2. All dues for the current semester shall be paid before the second Brother's Meeting of the current semester.
    3. If a BROTHER cannot pay his debt and dues in full by the above deadlines, he shall make a payment plan, with the Treasurer's approval, that will pay off his entire financial obligation by the end of the current semester. Such a plan must be submitted to the Treasurer by the second meeting of the semester.
    4. In cases of extreme financial crisis, a BROTHER may ask that his dues be divided equally amongst the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD for the current semester. Such a motion must be made at the first meeting of the semester and requires a UNANIMOUS vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.
    5. If a BROTHER fails to meet these financial obligations, a motion to suspend may be brought as per Article II, Section 5, Law 2.
  2. Each BROTHER shall have set upon him the personal responsibility to meet the following attendance requirements:
    1. To be present for all Full House Cleanups. The fine for missing any of these events shall be $25.00.
    2. To attend all PLEDGE related ceremonies, including but not limited to PLEDGE installation, the PLEDGE outing, and PLEDGE initiation. The fine for missing any of these events shall be $25.00.
    3. To attend all ALUMNI related events, including but not limited to Founders Day and Alumni Weekend. The fine for missing any of these events shall be $25.00.
    4. To be present for each day of Rush Cleanup Week. The fine shall be $25.00 for each half day of cleanup week missed.
    5. To be present for each evening of Rush Week. The fine for missing any of these events shall be $25.00.
    6. To arrange to meet with the Scholarship Chair once per semester to discuss his grades and any need and/or plan for improvement. The fine for failing to attend this meeting shall be $10.00.
    7. To be present for the entirety of all Brother's Meetings and Rush meetings. The fine for tardiness shall be $5.00. The fine for absence shall be $10.00. The fine for leaving a meeting without an excuse shall be $10.00.
    8. The ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD may vote to designate any event as an "attendance required" event and fine those ACTIVE BROTHERS absent, however, attendance shall NOT be required of any ACTIVE BROTHER for any event for which he is not given at least two weeks advance notice of the attendance requirement.
    9. All fines for absence or tardiness may be adjusted or absolved by a SIMPLE MAJORITY vote of the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
  3. An ACTIVE BROTHER shall complete 10 hours of philanthropy per semester excluding the summer semester. If at the start of the current semester an ACTIVE BROTHER has failed to complete his philanthropy obligation for the previous semester, he shall have two weeks to submit a written plan for the timely completion of the outstanding hours to the philanthropy chair. At the first EXECUTIVE COUNCIL meeting of the current semester, the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL shall vote on whether or not to recommend to the Chapter to suspend MEMBERs (for one semester) who have failed to meet this obligation.
  4. An ACTIVE BROTHER shall maintain an academic standing of "Good" as defined by the Georgia Institute of Technology. At the first EXECUTIVE COUNCIL meeting of the current semester, the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL shall vote on whether or not to recommend to the Chapter to suspend MEMBERs (for one semester) whose academic status was any status lower than "Good" at the end of the previous semester.
  5. An ACTIVE BROTHER must actively participate in at least one standing committee.
  6. An ACTIVE BROTHER shall do everything in his power to meet the requirements of ACTIVE BROTHER status and to maintain that status until such time as they are granted ALUMNUS status.
  7. An INACTIVE BROTHER should exhaust every means at his disposal to return to ACTIVE BROTHER status the next semester following his semester with INACTIVE BROTHER status.
  8. An INACTIVE BROTHER should not attempt to exercise any of the rights reserved for ACTIVE BROTHERs until such time as he regains his ACTIVE BROTHER status.
  9. No ACTIVE BROTHER, INACTIVE BROTHER, or ALUMNUS shall discuss any information about the contents of the Ritual, Brother's Meeting, or any other matter considered secret by the Chapter to any person who has not been initiated into Psi Upsilon. Any failure to meet this requirement should be brought to the attention of the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL who will then recommend SUSPENSION (for single infractions) or EXPULSION (for repeated infractions) proceedings against the BROTHER in question.

Law 4: Rights and Privileges

  1. An ACTIVE BROTHER is granted the right to attend all meetings, ceremonies, and social events and other official activities of the Chapter.
  2. An ACTIVE BROTHER is granted the right to vote in any matters concerning the Chapter and this right shall not be suspended or denied so long as the MEMBER maintains his ACTIVE BROTHER status.
  3. ACTIVE BROTHERs shall have the highest priority in matters concerning the use of the Chapter House and related facilities, specifically the assignment of rooms and parking spaces, and the use of the house for official Chapter functions.
  4. An INACTIVE BROTHER may not attend any Ritual event or Chapter meeting.

Section 3: Alumni

Law 1: Definition

  1. An ALUMNUS is a person who has been initiated and who is considered an ALUMNUS by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Law 2: Rights and Privileges

  1. ALUMNI are not required to pay any dues to the Chapter but are required to cover the cost of their participation in any event not specifically organized for ALUMNI.
  2. ALUMNI are encouraged to visit and participate in the activities of the Chapter.
  3. ALUMNI may attend all Brother's Meetings and may make motions and recommendations.
  4. ALUMNI may attend all social and ritual events of the chapter provided they have paid off all outstanding debts to the chapter.
  5. ALUMNI may participate in and chair committees and hold offices that are not part of the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
  6. ALUMNI may not participate in any official vote.

Law 3: Requirements

  1. ALUMNI are required to organize themselves into a support organization, the purpose of which shall be to guide the growth and development of the Chapter.
  2. ALUMNI should make every effort to attend Founder ' s Day and Alumni Weekend events organized by the Chapter.
  3. ALUMNI are required to pay any balance owed to the Chapter as soon as is possible after being granted ALUMNI status.

Section 4: Honorary Brothers

Law 1: Definition

  1. An HONORARY BROTHER is a person, not otherwise eligible for membership, who the fraternity has selected in recognition of their outstanding achievement and devotion to the Fraternity and its development and growth, and who has subsequently been initiated.
  2. An HONORARY BROTHER may attend Brothers' Meetings, present motions, hold chairs and maintain memberships in committees.

Law 2: Selection

  1. In order for a person to become an HONORARY BROTHER, a list of their accomplishments and specific examples of their contributions to the fraternity must be made, and said person must then carry a vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD conducted in the following manner:
    1. A vote, by secret ballot, will be taken. Three types of votes may be cast for this ballot:
      1. YES - The voting BROTHER wishes the person to be initiated into Psi Upsilon.
      2. NO - The voting BROTHER does not believe that the person deserves this honor at this time.
      3. VETO - The voting BROTHER vehemently opposes making said person an HONORARY BROTHER.
    2. If the person receives a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY of YES votes and zero votes of VETO, then the person is an HONORARY BROTHER upon initiation.
    3. If the person receives one or more votes of VETO, or does not receive a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY of YES votes, then the person retains their current status in relation to the chapter.
  2. Any vote to select someone as an HONORARY BROTHER shall be announced no less than two weeks in advance, at a regularly scheduled Brother's Meeting.
  3. A person may come up to a vote to be made an HONORARY BROTHER no more than once per semester.

Section 5: Release of PLEDGEs and BROTHERs

Law 1: Pledges

  1. A motion to expel a pledge may be submitted:
    1. If the pledge enters into any negotiations for securing membership in any other social fraternity.
    2. If the pledge evidences unwillingness to conform to directions given for preparation for initiation.
    3. If the pledge refuses to complete or to regard seriously the various steps in the initiation.
    4. If the pledge fails to respect the secrecy of the Chapter by asking BROTHERs, ALUMNI, or other PLEDGEs, to disclose information about the content of secret meetings such as the Brother's Meeting, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Meetings, or about the content of the Ritual.
    5. One or more ACTIVE BROTHERs feel, for any reason, that the PLEDGE would not make a good BROTHER of Psi Upsilon.
  2. If, at anytime during a PLEDGE's pledgeship, any ACTIVE BROTHER feels that a PLEDGE should be expelled for any of the reason listed in Paragraph 1, then that BROTHER may bring up a motion proposing that the pledge be expelled. The following guidelines will govern such, motions:
    1. This motion may not be proposed at any meeting where there has been, or is planned, a motion to be made to initiate any PLEDGE(s)
    2. After such a motion has been made, discussion will be opened.
    3. After discussion is complete, the matter shall be tabled until the next Brother's Meeting.
    4. During the old business section of the next Brother's Meeting, the motion may be untabled and discussion of the matter reopened. After the close of discussion, there will be a vote on the motion, by secret ballot. The vote will consist of two options: a YES vote, which is a vote in favor of the motion to expel the PLEDGE, or a NO vote, which is a vote against the motion to expel the PLEDGE. This vote requires a SIMPLE MAJORITY of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD to pass. If this vote passes, then the PLEDGE is immediately expelled.
  3. A PLEDGE will be automatically expelled if he has not been initiated within two PLEDGE TERMS after accepting his bid unless he is granted an extension of his pledgeship, not to exceed two PLEDGE TERMS, via a SIMPLE MAJORITY favorable vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.
  4. A PLEDGE may upon his own request, after the President, Pledge Education Committee Chairman, or the Big Brother of the PLEDGE have discussed the matter with him and have clearly determined his reasons for the request, suspend his pledgeship for a period not to exceed one semester.
  5. A PLEDGE may upon his own request, after the President, Pledge Education Committee Chairman, or the Big Brother of the PLEDGE in question have discussed the matter with him and have clearly determined his reasons for the request, terminate his own pledgeship.
  6. A PLEDGE who has terminated his own pledgeship or who has been suspended or expelled shall return his PLEDGE pin to the Pledge Educator.

Law 2: Suspension and Expulsion of BROTHERs

  1. An ACTIVE BROTHER may be suspended for a period not to exceed one year by a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD, excepting the vote of the persons in question. A BROTHER may be expelled by a UNANIMOUS vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD excepting the vote of the person in question. A period of suspension should have an ending date that corresponds with the end of the semester.
  2. All votes concerning suspension or expulsion shall occur at regularly scheduled Brother's Meetings and all ACTIVE BROTHERs shall be given notice at least two weeks in advance of the meeting that a question of suspension or expulsion is to be considered. BROTHERs for whom suspension or expulsion is to be considered shall be informed no less than two weeks in advance and in writing of the basis of such action by the Vice President of Internal Affairs.
  3. Any BROTHER who finds his personal ideals or feelings concerning the Chapter have come into conflict with the precepts of Psi Upsilon may request a suspension of membership. Such requests must be made in writing to the Chapter President. Upon receipt of such a request, a suspension of indefinite period shall immediately be granted and the BROTHER will be expected to conform to all rules outlined in Paragraph 4.
  4. A BROTHER who is suspended shall cease all fraternal activities and associations with the Chapter during the period of suspension. He shall have no vote in Chapter affairs and shall not take part in social, athletic, professional or Ritual activities of his Chapter. He should not enter the Chapter House or property. If he is currently a resident of the Chapter House, he will be given 60 days to vacate the premises.
  5. A BROTHER who is expelled shall cease all fraternal activities and associations with the Chapter. He shall have no vote in Chapter affairs and shall not take part in social, athletic, professional or Ritual activities of his Chapter. He should not enter the Chapter House or property. He shall return his BROTHER's Badge and his name shall be permanently stricken from all official records of Psi Upsilon. If he is currently a resident of the Chapter House, he will be given 60 days to vacate the premises.

Law 3: Voluntary Termination of Membership

  1. Psi Upsilon recognizes no voluntary termination of membership once a MEMBER has been initiated.

Law 4: Reinstatement of Suspended Members

  1. A BROTHER who has been suspended at his own request may petition the Chapter for reinstatement. Such a request must be made in writing via a spokesman at the first or second Brother's Meeting of the semester. The petition shall state the reasons for the request for reinstatement. Such reinstatement may be granted only by a SIMPLE MAJORITY favorable vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD. If the petition is denied, the BROTHER shall remain suspended. The BROTHER may submit a new petition the following semester.
  2. A MEMBER suspended by the Chapter shall be reinstated when his period of suspension has elapsed, or by a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY favorable vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD taken at the first or second Brother's Meeting of the semester.

ARTICLE III: The Executive Council (EC)

Section 1: Officers of the Executive Council

Law 1: Definition and purpose

  1. The purpose of the EC is to be the primary governing body of the Chapter. The EC will:
    1. Handle the routine business and day-to-day decision making associated with the operation of the Chapter.
    2. Make important decisions on behalf of the Chapter whenever it is called to do so by the bylaws, or when a decision must be made before such time as a Brother's Meeting can be arranged.
    3. Enforce the bylaws of the Chapter and recommend fines, suspension, or expulsion of MEMBERs for infractions of the bylaws.
  2. The EC shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President of the House, Vice President of Member Education, Vice President of Internal Affairs, and Vice President of External Affairs.
  3. All official decisions of the EC must be made with a QUORUM of the EC present.
  4. Any decision made by the EC may be overturned by a THREE- FOURTHS MAJORITY vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.
  5. All officers will have the following duties:
    1. To maintain Continuity Folder which shall include but is not limited to:
      1. Minutes from all committee meetings chaired by the officer.
      2. Notes and records of all projects planned or carried out by the officer or their committee.
      3. Useful contact information.
      4. Other notes and documents pertaining to their office.
      5. Digital data as applicable.
    2. To hand down and explain the contents of his Continuity Folder to his successor when he leaves office.
    3. To ensure that minutes and attendance are taken at each Committee meeting that he chairs.
    4. To exhaust all available means to meet the requirements of his office for his entire elected term.
    5. To give reports at House and Brother's meetings on the state of affairs of the office and ongoing projects, events, etc.
    6. To submit budgetary items to the Vice President of the House for approval.
    7. To aid the Vice President of Member Education with Rush at his request.
    8. To submit scheduling items to the Vice President of Internal Affairs for approval.
    9. To submit all event plans to the Vice President of External Affairs to ensure compliance with regulations.
  6. The EC will have the following duties:
    1. To meet weekly to set an agenda for the Brothers Meeting and report on the sate of affairs of their offices.
    2. To actively disclose any official actions to the rest of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.

Law 2: Responsibilities of the President of the Fraternity

  1. The office of President of the Fraternity shall be the highest office of the Fraternity.
  2. To represent Brother Archon in all ritual activities of the Chapter.
  3. To represent Leonardo in the TMNT.
  4. To chair Brothers Meetings.
  5. To attend all IFC meetings.
  6. To chair the EC and schedule its weekly meetings.
  7. To ensure that the other BROTHERs of the EC perform the duties prescribed to them by these bylaws.
  8. Keep himself familiar with the activities of the other members of the EC.
  9. To Dutifully perform the role of other EC members in their absence.
  10. To oversee and be responsible for the general good health and operation of the Chapter.
  11. To create or dissolve duties not enumerated by these Bylaws to the Committees as he determines would be beneficial to the operations of the Chapter.
  12. To reside in the Chapter House in order to better perform his duties.

Law 3: Responsibilities of the Vice President of the House

  1. The office of Vice-President of the House shall be the second highest office of the Fraternity.
  2. To represent Brother Thesauristes in all ritual activities of the Chapter
  3. To represent Donatello in the TMNT.
  4. To chair the weekly House Meetings.
  5. To be the single point of contact for all financial matters.
  6. To maintain current detailed ledgers of accounts held with and by the Chapter.
  7. To chair and schedule the weekly meetings of the House Committee.
  8. To assign duties to the members of the House Committee and ensure that these duties are performed.
  9. To keep himself familiar with the activities of the other members of the House Committee.
  10. To dutifully perform the role of other House Committee members in their absence.
  11. To reside in the Chapter House in order to better perform his duties.

Law 4: Responsibilities of the Vice President of Member Education

  1. The office of Vice-President of Member Education shall be the third highest office of the Fraternity.
  2. To represent Brother First Angelos.
  3. To represent Master Splinter in the TMNT.
  4. To chair and schedule the Pledge Education Meetings.
  5. To be the single point of contact for all Rush matters.
  6. To chair and schedule the weekly meetings of the Member Education Committee.
  7. To assign duties to the members of the Member Education Committee and ensure that these duties are performed.
  8. To keep himself familiar with the activities of the other members of the Member Education Committee.
  9. To dutifully perform the role of other Member Education Committee members in their absence.

Law 5: Responsibilities of the Vice President of External Affairs

  1. The office of Vice-President of External Affairs shall be the fourth highest office of the Fraternity.
  2. To represent Brother Second Angelos.
  3. To represent Michelangelo in the TMNT.
  4. To attend all IFC meetings.
  5. To be the single point on contact for Chapter compliance with State, Federal, Institutional and IFC regulations (Risk Management).
  6. To be the official representative of the Chapter to all outside organizations.
  7. To chair and schedule the weekly meetings of the External Affairs Committee.
  8. To assign duties to the members of the External Affairs and ensure that these duties are performed.
  9. To keep himself familiar with the activities of the other members of the External Affairs Committee.
  10. To dutifully perform the role of other External Affairs Committee members in their absence.

Law 6: Responsibilities of the Vice President of Internal Affairs

  1. The office of Vice-President of Internal Affairs shall be the fourth highest office of the Fraternity.
  2. To represent Brother Epistlographos and/or Grammateus.
  3. To represent Raphael in the TMNT.
  4. To attend the International Convention meetings.
  5. To be the single point of contact for all scheduling matters.
  6. To chair and schedule the weekly meetings of the Internal Affairs Committee.
  7. To assign duties to the members of the Internal Affairs and ensure that these duties are performed.
  8. To keep himself familiar with the activities of the other members of the Internal Affairs Committee.
  9. To dutifully perform the role of other Internal Affairs Committee members in their absence.

Section 2: Installation and Removal

Law 1: Nomination and Election

  1. The term length for all EXECUTIVE COUNCIL members shall be approximately one calendar year beginning on the date of their Installation and ending when their successor is installed.
  2. Nominations for officers whose term of office will expire at the end of the current semester shall be opened at the fifth to last Brother's Meeting of the current semester and reopened immediately before elections.
  3. Nominations for an office that has been prematurely vacated shall be opened during the meeting it becomes vacant and reopened immediately before elections.
  4. Only ACTIVE BROTHERs currently enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology are eligible for nomination.
  5. No nomination shall be considered officially accepted until such time as the nominee has placed in writing his qualifications and submitted them to the chairman of the meeting.
  6. Elections for offices whose current office's term will expire at the end of the current semester shall be held at the third and second to last Brother's Meetings of the semester.
  7. Elections for offices that have been prematurely vacated shall be held at the next regularly scheduled Brother's Meeting following the meeting at which the office was vacated.
  8. The Installation of new officers shall occur during the meeting following the initiation following the last officer's election.
  9. The procedure used for election of Officers of the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL shall be as follows:
    1. Elections shall be held in the order of highest office to lowest office over a period of two Meetings, where the top two offices take place at the first Meeting and the last three offices take place during the second Meeting.
    2. At the start of elections, all candidates will be asked to leave the room. The candidates shall return one at a time in alphabetical order to give a speech and answer any questions.
    3. Any candidates who cannot be available at the time of the election, must have their qualification sheet and/or speech read by an appointed assistant at the election, and be available by phone to answer any questions.
    4. Once all candidates have given their speeches and answered questions, all candidates will be asked to wait in another room while the Chapter discusses the candidates.
    5. The ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD will then vote on the candidates via secret ballot.
    6. Brother's may abstain from voting. Write in votes shall not be permitted. All voters must write on the ballot the full name of a nominee or "No Confidence". If any other type of vote is cast, the vote will be considered void and will be retaken.
    7. The acting chairman of the meeting and the acting recording secretary will count the votes.
    8. A candidate must receive a SIMPLE MAJORITY of favorable votes of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD to be elected.
    9. If no candidate receives a SIMPLE MAJORITY of favorable votes, all proxy votes will be permanently discarded, and a runoff vote will immediately occur between the two candidates with the most votes.
    10. In the event that a SIMPLE MAJORITY of votes are cast "No Confidence", or in the event that the first or second highest scoring vote was "No Confidence", all proxy votes will be permanently discarded, the candidates will be asked to immediately return to the meeting and the meeting shall return directly to the pre-election nominations phase.
    11. Once a winner has been determined, the candidates will be asked to return to the meeting and the results announced.
  10. Any EXECUTIVE COUNCIL member who shall not have ACTIVE BROTHER status during summer semester may appoint a substitute representative to hold the post during that semester.

Law 2: Resignation

  1. Officers are expected to dutifully complete their terms, but are permitted to resign their office in cases of extreme emotional or academic hardship.
  2. In the event an officer resigns his office, he shall continue to faithfully execute the duties of that office until such time as a replacement is elected or appointed, or until two weeks passes.
  3. The President shall assume the duties of offices outside the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL if the two-week period expires without a suitable replacement being determined. The President shall faithfully complete the duties of that office while making every effort to find a replacement.

Law 3: Involuntary Removal from Office

  1. Should an EXECUTIVE council member become an ALUMNUS during their term, they shall be automatically removed from office.
  2. Officers may be removed from office by a THREE-FOURTHS MAJORITY vote of the ACTIVE BROTHERHOOD.
  3. Any officer for which a motion for involuntarily removal from office will be submitted, as well as all ACTIVE BROTHERs, must be notified no less than two-weeks prior to the meeting at which the issue is to be discussed. The officer in question shall be notified in writing.

ARTICLE IV: Committees

Section 1: Committees of the Chapter

Law 1: Definition and Purpose

  1. The purpose of these Committees is to be the primary decision making and discussion bodies of the Chapter. The Committees will:
    1. Be chaired by the vice presidents.
    2. Be assigned tasks by the president during the Brother's meetings.
    3. Decide courses of action to accomplish their tasks.
    4. Present these courses of action to the brotherhood through their Chair.
  2. The Committee system shall consist of the following Committees: House Committee, Member Education Committee, Internal Affairs Committee, and External Affairs Committee.
  3. All ACTIVE BROTHERS have the responsibility to be an active member in one of the Committees.

Law 2: Responsibilities of the House Committee

  1. The House Committee shall be chaired by the Vice President of the House.
  2. To aid the Vice President of the House in his financial duties including but not limited to:
    1. To collect money from those who owe money to the Chapter and to assess bills for Chapter services and functions.
    2. To keep each MEMBER regularly appraised of their financial standing with the Chapter and to provide financial status information of a MEMBER's account at the request of that MEMBER.
    3. To propose a budget for the upcoming semester at the last meeting of every semester.
    4. To see to the payment of Chapter bills.
    5. To collect rent and parlor fees.
    6. To collect all fines including event and meeting attendance, and house job.
  3. To manage the House and the Chapter's property.
    1. To act as an agent of PUSOG for the purpose of issuing and collecting housing contracts, eviction notices, etc.
    2. To secure the lodge room during Brothers Meetings.
    3. To be responsible for the condition of the Chapter house and to work with PUSOG to make sure the Chapter house and grounds stay in good repair.
    4. To establish parking and room allocation policies with due consideration to fraternity status, debts owed, etc.
    5. To see that all entrances to the house are locked after midnight, or after the conclusion of any official event which lasts past midnight.
  4. To ensure that the House remains clean, and to improve the condition of the House.
    1. To assign house jobs, ensure their completion.
    2. To coordinate and conduct monthly full house cleanups.
    3. To buy supplies for the house (soap, sponges, cleaner, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.)
    4. To coordinate and conduct Full House Cleanup Week and to ensure the house remains clean during Rush Week.
    5. To conduct move-in and move-out inspections of all rooms.
  5. To manage and maintain the kitchen of the Chapter
    1. To establish policies for the use of the Chapter kitchen.
    2. To ensure that these policies are followed and that the kitchen remains clean.
  6. To maintain the network of the Chapter.
    1. To operate and maintain computers, networking equipment, telephone equipment, and network/telephone wiring owned by the Chapter.
    2. To act as liaison to the Georgia Institute of Technology's Office of Information Technology.
  7. To conduct Fundraising for the Chapter to assist with the financial stability of the Chapter.
    1. To manage the Coke[tm] machine, snack machine, and any other fund raising projects.
    2. To keep accurate records of all money raised and spent, and insure that Vice President of the House has a copy.
    3. To coordinate and conduct fund raising event to help Members pay their chapter dues and debts, and to raise funds for use by the Chapter.
    4. To coordinate with the other chairmen to examine the feasibility of using other Chapter activities to raise funds (selling T-Shirts at parties, etc.).

Law 3: Responsibilities of the Member Education Committee

  1. The Member Education Committee shall be chaired by the Vice President of Member Education.
  2. To aid the Vice President of Member Education in his Rush duties including but not limited to:
    1. To prepare a rush calendar of events for each Rush Week.
    2. To ensure the Chapter has all the necessary materials to conduct Rush and Rush events.
    3. To keep pictures or extensive notes on rushees.
    4. To maintain contact with outstanding bid holders and keep the Chapter appraised of their status.
  3. To educate the Pledges.
    1. To conduct PLEDGE education sessions as needed follow the guidelines set down in the Garnet Book and the College tablet.
    2. To assist the pledges in the organization of pledge chapter improvement project, the pledge service project, and the pledge social event
    3. To assist and ensure that the PLEDGEs choose a Big Brother no later then after the conclusion of the pledge outing.
    4. To ensure that the PLEDGEs complete their paddles no later then two weeks before initiation.
    5. To ensure pledge attendance at House and Pledge Education Meetings.
    6. To organize and oversee the formation of a pledge outing.
  4. To coordinate and conduct the Ritual of the Chapter.
    1. To be intimately familiar with the official Psi Upsilon ritual as well as all Chapter rituals.
    2. To maintain a supply of items needed to conduct the various rituals.
    3. To organize and conduct a yearly Brother's Retreat.
    4. To coordinate and conduct ritual preparation.
    5. To plan and coordinate the pledge installation dinner.
  5. To compile and manage the History of the Chapter.
    1. To ensure a proper record is kept of major events in the Chapter (period Intentionally Omitted)
    2. To collect and compile Psi U stories, pictures, etc. and maintain them in a permanent archive.
  6. To educate the Members.
    1. To conduct session to educate the members on the policies and history of the Chapter including Rush and House policies.
  7. To aid the Members in their pursuit of education at Georgia Tech.
    1. To meet with each ACTIVE BROTHER and PLEDGE once per semester to discuss that person's academic performance and any need or plan for improvement.
    2. To coordinate tutors and study partners in the Chapter.
    3. To ensure the Chapter meets IFC minimum standards for scholastic achievement.

Law 4: Responsibilities of the External Affairs Committee

  1. The External Affairs Committee shall be chaired by the Vice President of External Affairs.
  2. To aid the Vice President of External Affairs in his Risk Management duties including but not limited to:
    1. To ensure that all official Chapter functions are conducted in a safe manner.
    2. To monitor and police chapter Social events.
    3. To be familiar with State, Federal, Institutional and IFC regulations as they pertain to the chapter.
    4. To ensure that Sober Monitors are available at all Chapter events.
  3. To interface between the IFC and the Chapter.
    1. To encourage participation in IFC committees and activities.
    2. To encourage Brothers to apply for IFC scholarships, run for IFC offices, and participate in IFC committees.
    3. To coordinate with IFC committee chairmen to keep abreast of their activities.
    4. To ensure that all the committees in the Chapter are conforming to IFC minimum standards.
  4. To coordinate and conduct a philanthropy event for the Members once a semester.
    1. To keep records of both the time spent and money collected/contributed in philanthropic events for each Member.
    2. To complete and submit IFC philanthropy forms.
    3. To ensure the Chapter meets IFC minimum standards for philanthropy.
  5. To coordinate and conduct a Greek Week and Homecoming events.
    1. To coordinate efforts with the Brotherhood during these events.
    2. To advertise Greek Week/Homecoming events and encourage participation.
    3. To attend all Greek Week/Homecoming related IFC meetings.
    4. To ensure that all entry fees are paid, as necessary.
    5. To coordinate and conduct Greek Week/Homecoming projects.
  6. To coordinate and conduct the social events of the Chapter.
    1. To coordinate and conduct the seasonal party, coke and donuts, LAN parties, as well as any other social parties that may occur.
    2. To ensure that a list of Members is available for all social events for the purposes of maintaining an invite list for these events.
    3. To coordinate and conduct several "non-party" social activities per semester such as: Weekly outings to local restaurants/bars/clubs; Rafting trips/camping or other outdoor recreation; Weekend revelry such as capture the flag, football, ultimate, V-ball, etc.
  7. To produce content for publishing in the Georgia Tech yearbook, including photograph of current brotherhood and other materials as required.

Law 5: Responsibilities of the Internal Affairs Committee

  1. The Internal Affairs Committee shall be chaired by the Vice President of Internal Affairs.
  2. To aid the Vice President of Internal Affairs in his scheduling duties including but not limited to:
    1. To create and maintain a current calendar of events at least one term in advance.
    2. To coordinate with the other Committees for the events on this calendar.
    3. To correspond with the members to give ample notification of all events.
    4. To provide a public calendar.
  3. To conduct relations with the Alumni of the Chapter
    1. To release an Alumni Newsletter, which goes by the name "The Golden Cogwheel", once per semester.
    2. To keep an up to date record of ALUMNI information including addresses and phone numbers.
    3. To coordinate and conduct annual Alumni Weekend and Founders Day events to be held during Greek Week and Homecoming respectively.
    4. To work with the Vice President of the House to mail letters along with newsletters to those Alumni who still have a balance due to either PUSOG or the Gamma Tau Chapter.
  4. To conduct relations with the International Office and the other Chapters of the Fraternity
    1. To complete the Membership Report and mail it to the International Office on time.
  5. To produce correspondence and records relating to the Chapter activities.
    1. To produce the Chapter Newsletter in a timely and regular manner.
    2. To maintain the Chapter web sites and keep the information contained on them accurate and up to date.
  6. To manage these Bylaws
    1. To be intimately familiar with the Psi Upsilon International Constitution, Roberts Rules of Order, IFC rules and regulations, Georgia Tech rules and regulations, motions passed by the Chapter, and these bylaws.
    2. To maintain a current copy of these bylaws and make changes as amendments are voted on.
    3. To review all bylaw amendments for technical requirements, and to ensure that they do not conflict with any other section of these bylaws.
    4. To conduct an annual State of the Bylaws Address to the Brotherhood.
    5. To propose amendments to these bylaws that would clean-up, simplify, or otherwise improve the readability of these bylaws.
    6. To propose amendments to these bylaws that would keep these bylaws in-line with the manner in which the Chapter conducts business.
  7. To manage the records of the Chapter
    1. To record and present the minutes at each Chapter meeting.
    2. To maintain a permanent record of the minutes of all Chapter meetings.
    3. To maintain a Member information list of all Active and Alumni.

© 2009 Psi Upsilon, Gamma Tau chapter