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The name of this organization shall be the Cleveland
Community College Chapter of the Gamma Beta Phi Society.
This chapter is an integral part of the national
organization of the Gamma Beta Phi Society and shall
adhere to the policies laid down in the National Constitution. Its Coat of Arms, Motto, Watchwords, Colors, and Emblem shall
be those of the national organization.
This chapter shall be a non-secret, non-profit,
scholastic honor, educational-service organization for
students at Cleveland Community College.
Membership therein shall not be excluded by,
nor shall it exclude from, membership in any social,
academic, or fraternal organization.
Membership therein shall not be restricted by
race, sex, creed, handicap, age, religion, national
origin, or other non-relevant factors.
The purpose of this chapter of the Gamma Beta
Phi Society is exclusively educational within the meaning
of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1954. It shall not engage in activities not permitted a 501 (c) (3)
organization or an organization contributions to which
are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of that code
(or the corresponding provision of any future United
States Internal Revenue Law.)
No part of its net earning shall incur to the
benefit of its members, officers, or other private persons
except that it may pay reasonable compensation for services
rendered and make distributions in furtherance of its
purpose. No
substantial part of the chapter’s activities shall involve
political propaganda or campaigns, or the attempt to
influence legislation.
The objectives of the chapter are to recognize
and encourage excellence in education, to promote the
development of leadership ability and character in its
members, and to foster, disseminate and improve education
through appropriate service projects.
This chapter shall implement these purposes by
procedures consonant with the local situation and in
cooperation with the faculty and administration of Cleveland
Community College.
Students invited into membership in this chapter
of the Gamma Beta Phi Society shall be undergraduate
students at Cleveland Community College who must be
committed to excellence in education, to good character
and to service.
Any student who has completed 15
consecutive semester
hours of work at Cleveland Community College
including any pass-fail work,
or hours earned due to placement tests such as CLEP
or CEEB, is eligible for membership provided he/she
meets the other requirements.
Any student who ranks within the top 20% of his/her
college class (at Cleveland Community College,
approximately a 3.5 grade point average) meets the scholastic
standard for membership.
Each new member must pay the one-time national
membership fee set by the National Senate.
The local dues of this chapter shall be $10.00
per year and $5.00 for the summer semester if attended,
except for the first semester of membership when the
dues shall be $7.00 during the fall semester and $2.00
during the spring semester.
New members must earn a total of 9 points for
the first semester with 3 points (minimum) actively
serving on service projects. New members must also attend
the New Members meeting and the Induction, unless otherwise
excused.
Other
local assessments may not be made upon the membership,
but voluntary contributions can be requested to defray
the cost of special undertakings if approved by a majority
of the membership at any meeting at which a quorum is
present.
An alumni member is considered to be a member
who has graduated from Cleveland Community College
and no longer attends classes. He/she is welcome to participate or attend any activity or
function he/she so desires.
Alumni members are not required to accumulate
points and may not hold an office.
A member of this chapter of Gamma Beta Phi Society
may be dropped form membership for failure to pay his/her
local dues by the second meeting of each semester.
A member must retain a ranking within his/her
class of no less than the top 25% (at Cleveland Community
College this is approximately a 3.2 grade point average.)
If a member should drop below that, he/she will
be allowed one-semester probation period. If after that term, the member still does not meet the
scholastic retention standard he/she will be dropped
permanently from membership.
To remain active, a member must earn a total
of sixteen service points per semester, except the summer
semester where the points will be nine and actively
serve a minimum of three points on a service project.
If a member fails to acquire the sixteen or nine
points during a semester, he/she will be placed on probation
and given the next semester to make a total of 32 or
25 points for both semesters.
Should a sophomore go on probation the semester
before he/she graduates, the member’s standing with
the chapter will be decided upon by the Executive Committee.
Failure to acquire the 32 or 25 points during
the probation semester will result in loss of membership.
A member may be placed on probation if he/she
is absent from more than 2 regular meetings during the
school year without a justifiable excuse. Failure to
makeup the missed meetings can result in dismissal from
membership.
A member may be dropped from membership for disciplinary
reasons and for creation of situations that have an
adverse effect on the performance of the member efficiently
conducting the business of the society on the local,
state, and national level.
A member so dropped from membership may appeal
the decision to the State Executive Committee, and then,
if still not satisfied, to the Executive Director whose
decision is final.
The name of any member dropped from membership
shall be sent to the Executive Director immediately,
along with the reason for action.
A student dropped from membership may later be
reinstated by action of the Chapter Executive Committee,
if the committee is satisfied that he/she now meets
the standards for membership.
Reinstatement will consist of the student’s written
letter of request and the completion of at least 2 service
projects. A
member so reinstated will not again pay the national
membership fee: a record of the reinstatement
shall be immediately sent to the National Executive
Director.
Past graduates, who were in good standing with
Gamma Beta Phi, may be reinstated by paying local dues.
They must maintain points and class ranking.
Induction of new members shall take place during
the Fall and Spring semesters.
The induction ceremony shall be a dignified occasion.
There shall be no hazing of an inductee—either
that which would result in physical discomfort or that
which would cause mental embarrassment.
Each person must join at the time the invitation
is received. Should
a student decide at a later date that he/she wishes
to become a member of this chapter of Gamma Beta Phi,
he/she may petition the Executive Committee for membership,
stating in writing why the initial invitation was refused
and why membership is being requested.
The decision of the Executive Committee will
be final.
The Executive Director shall be sent immediately
the name, address, prospective graduation date, and
national membership fee of each new member and the date
of the induction ceremony.
The elected officers of this chapter of Gamma
Beta Phi Society shall be: a president, a vice-president,
a corresponding secretary, a recording secretary, a
treasurer, a reporter, a historian, and a newsletter
editor.
The duties of the president shall be:
to preside at the day meetings; to appoint all committees;
to guide the activities and administer the policies
laid down in the national constitution and in the chapter
bylaws; to file with Headquarters the year-end Chapter
report; and to be the official representative of this
chapter when necessary or desirable.
The duties of the vice-president shall
be: to preside at meetings when the president is absent;
to assume the duties of the presidency should the president
be unable to serve; to assist in administering the affairs
of the chapter; and to serve as chairperson of the Program
Committee.
The duties of the corresponding secretary
shall be: to keep the records of membership; to prepare
the minutes of meetings; to carry on the general correspondence
of the chapter; to keep National Headquarters informed
about all changes in membership and reasons therefore;
to order and properly disburse material from Headquarters;
and to serve as a member of the nomination committee.
The duties of the recording secretary
shall be: to prepare the minutes of the night meetings;
to properly disburse material from Headquarters; to
assist corresponding secretary as needed; to serve as
treasurer for night meetings when needed; to draw up
and keep on file an attendance sheet for each member.
The duties of the treasurer shall be:
to collect, safeguard, and disburse the funds of the
Chapter, to keep a complete and accurate record of all
financial transactions; to complete and send to headquarters
a year-end financial statement of all receipts and expenditures;
and to pass on to the treasurer succeeding him/her all
funds remaining in the treasury and to give to the Advisor
all financial records; and serve as secretary for the
night group when the recording secretary is unavailable.
The duties of the media coordinator shall
be: to design and maintain the local Chapter web site;
to post current activities and events: to coordinate
with the Chapter Reporter on all postings of meetings,
activities, and events; to serve as a member of the
Publicity Committee.
The duties of the reporter shall be: to
serve as chairperson of the Publicity
Committee; to provide National Headquarters
with pictures and accounts of the Chapter’s activities
for publication in any National newsletter or any National
website; to provide articles for the state newsletter;
to maintain a monthly chapter bulletin board; and to
publicize each monthly meeting of the chapter by posters
and the student newsletter.
The duties of the historian shall be;
to serve as a chairperson of the Nomination Committee;
to compile the previous year’s scrapbook from the photographs
and artifacts collected in the previous year’s folders
and compile monthly folders during the current year
which shall consist of photographs, archives, and full
and complete documentation of who, what, when, and where;
to report scrapbook progress on a monthly basis to the
Chapter Executive Committee.
The duties of the newsletter editor shall
be; to publish at least once a semester a chapter newsletter;
to distribute these newsletters to members, state officers,
state advisor, Headquarters, and school administrators;
to serve as a member of the Publicity Committee.
The duties of the advisor shall be: to
advise the executive board, take part in chapter activities,
act as liaison between
the membership and the Cleveland Community
College administration and faculty, and aid the executive
officers in filing reports and documents with the National
Executive Committee and the National Headquarters.
The officers of the chapter shall be elected
at a regular meeting during the Spring Semester of the
school year. The
Executive Committee will determine the date of the election;
and if the Advisor approves the date, it will then be
announced to the membership at least one regular meeting
in advance of the meeting in which the election will
occur. The
Executive Committee will determine the method of nomination.
(1)
Voting will be by secret ballot.
Printed ballots will be distributed to members
at the noon and evening meetings on the day of election.
Votes will be counted when all final votes are
received. In
the event of a tie for any office, the decision will
be made by the nominating committee, the outgoing president,
and the advisor, and co-advisor.
(2)
Each person nominated for an office should appear
before the membership, before the elections at both
day and night meetings.
He/She is to give a brief statement of qualifications
and reasons for running for the office.
If he/she is unable to attend both day and night
meetings, he/she should appoint a representative to
read his/her statement or speech.
(3)
A member seeking an elected office may run for
only one office at the time of each yearly election.
(4)
The new officers shall assume their positions
at the beginning of the Summer Semester.
These officers will work with the retiring officers
for the remainder of the Spring Semester.
The president and vice-president between them
shall cover the day and night meetings. The corresponding secretary must attend day meetings, and the
recording secretary must attend night meetings. All other officers may attend either day or night meetings.
The term of office shall be for one full year
with no successive term in the same office. Any member in good standing may be eligible for election. The
term of office for anyone nominated for an officer’s
position must not extend beyond the individual’s active
enrollment at this college.
In the event of resignation or impeachment of
any officer other than president, a new election must
be held to fill the vacancy of that office.
Upon resignation or impeachment of the president,
the vice-president will take over the office of president,
and a new election will be held to fill the vacancy
of the office of vice-president.
The same attendance requirements pertain to officers
as they do for members, as stated in Article IV, except
that officers are expected to attend all regular scheduled
Executive Committee meetings, and absence from more
that two Executive Committee meetings during the school
year without a justifiable excuse may result in a request
for resignation from office.
Impeachment proceedings may be implemented by
the Executive Committee for the following reasons:
a.
Neglectfulness of duties
b.
Non-attendance in accordance with Article IV
c.
Creation of situations that have an adverse effect on
the performance of an officer for efficiently conducting
the business of the society on the local, state, and
national level
d.
Use of the position for personal gain
Impeachment proceedings will be implemented with
a warning given and probation period of 30 days to correct
the situation stated in the warning.
If the situation is not corrected, the Executive
Committee will take further action.
Appeal can be made to the State executive Committee
and then to the National Executive Director whose decision
is final.
This chapter of The Gamma Beta Phi Society shall
have a full-time faculty, full-time staff member, or
administrator as advisor.
The standing committees of this chapter shall
be; Executive Committee, Publicity Committee, Program
Committee, Social Committee, Scholarship Committee,
Induction Committee, and Activities Committee.
The Executive Committee shall be composed of
all officers and the chairpersons of all other standing
committees. The
chairperson of the Executive Committee shall be the
president. The
Advisor will be invited to all meetings of the committee
and his/her counsel sought.
The duties of this committee are: to see that
the standards of membership are maintained, to handle
all disciplinary matters, to plan general policies and
activities for presentation to the membership, to insure
that all qualified prospective members are identified
and invited into membership.
The Publicity Committee shall be appointed by
the president.
The chairperson of the committee shall be the
reporter. The
duties of the Publicity Committee shall be: to make
sure that the name, nature, purposes, and contribution
of Gamma Beta Phi are recognized throughout the campus
and the community by full and proper use of all available
media; to provide for the publicizing of the names and
pictures of all new members; to provide Headquarters
with pictures and accounts of the chapter’s activities
for publication in any Headquarters newsletter; to keep
an on-going written and pictorial history of the chapter.
The Program Committee shall be appointed by the
president. The
chairperson of the committee shall be the vice-president.
The duties of the Program Committee shall be:
to assist the Executive Committee in planning the nature
of the chapter meetings; to secure meeting facilities
and outside speakers; to greet, introduce, and send
thanks to all outside persons who take part in a meeting
of the chapter.
The Social Committee shall be appointed by the
president. The chairperson shall be designated by the president.
Its duty shall be: to take charge of all features
of social activities of the chapter, especially in regard
to refreshments, food, and decorations.
The Scholarship Committee shall be appointed
by the president.
The chairperson shall be designated by the president.
Its duty shall be: to publicize availability
of scholarships to all Cleveland Community College students,
and to prepare and present a possible slate of candidates.
The chairperson will consult with the financial aid
director and present findings to the committee.
The Induction Committee shall be appointed by
the president.
The chairperson shall be designated by the president.
Its duty shall be: to prepare a list of prospective
members, verify prospective members’ eligibility, prepare
and mail invitations, prepare credential envelopes for
new members, and assist new members at induction ceremonies.
The Activities Committee shall be appointed by
the president.
The chairperson shall be designated by the president.
Its duty shall be: to investigate the possibility
of suggested activities, to contact the appropriate
people to inquire about suggested service projects,
and to secure places to hold the chapter’s fundraisers.
In addition to the standing committees, special
committees will be appointed by the president.
The Nomination Committee, Telephone Committee,
and Typing Committee will be appointed when deemed necessary
by the president.
Duties of the chairperson are to organize and
assign duties to each member.
Good intercommunication should be maintained
by committee chairperson as well as committee members.
The chairperson is expected to report at each
Executive Committee meeting.
Regular meetings of this chapter of The Gamma
Beta Phi Society shall be held every month during the
regular school year.
The time and place of the meetings will be decided
upon by the Executive Committee with the approval of
the Advisor. Every
effort shall be taken to keep the time and place of
the meetings consistent and to give adequate notice
to the members.
Special meeting may be called by the president
after consultation with, and the approval of, the Executive
Committee and the Advisor. All members are to be sent notification of the special meeting
and its purpose for being called.
Only the business for which the meeting is called
will be transacted.
The public may be invited to attend any regular
or special meeting of the chapter if approved by the
Executive Committee.
A quorum of this chapter shall be constituted
by a majority of the membership present at a regular
meeting. No
action may by taken which is binding upon the membership
unless a quorum is present.
The parliamentary authority for this chapter
shall be the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of
Order. The
president may appoint a parliamentarian for day and
night meetings.
This chapter of The Gamma Beta Phi Society will
send the Advisor and student members as official delegates
to the annual State Council Meeting and shall also endeavor
to send as many other chapter members as is feasible.
This chapter shall also send the Advisor and
a designated student member as official delegates to
the annual meeting of the National Senate.
The Bylaws of this chapter may be amended by
a majority vote of the members at any meeting at which
a quorum is present, provided such proposed amendment,
in written form, has been placed before the membership
at a previous regular meeting.
Such amendments may not be in conflict with national
standards of policies.
Both the Executive Director of The Gamma Beta
Phi Society and the appropriate administrator or committee
at Cleveland Community College shall be sent immediately
a copy of these bylaws and of any subsequent amendments
or alterations.
In the event of dissolution the residual assets
of this organization will be turned over to another
organization which is itself exempt from federal income
tax as an organization described in section 501 (C)
(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or to the federal,
state, or local government for exclusively public purpose.
CCC
Chapter Bylaws
Revised March 2001 | 
