Lambda Sigma Society Bylaws
Bylaws
Lambda Sigma Society
Beta Pi Chapter at Jacksonville State University
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be Lambda Sigma Society, Beta Pi Chapter at Jacksonville State University.
Article II. Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to foster leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and the spirit of service among college students; to promote leadership among second year students; to develop personal career skills; to operate as a social and governmental body for second year students; and to serve the interest of Jacksonville State University and the Jacksonville community in every way possible.
Article III. Membership
There shall be three classes of chapter membership: active, alumni, and honorary.
Section 1. Active Members
Candidates for membership shall be considered in the spring term/semester of their first academic year. They shall have completed at least one academic term/semester at Jacksonville State University and have shown promise of leadership and service during their first year. These members shall be active during their second year.
Section 2. Alumni Members
Alumni members shall be members who have completed a full academic year of active membership in Lambda Sigma. Alumni members may have all privileges except voting in chapter matters.
Section 3. Honorary Members
Honorary membership may be conferred by unanimous vote of the chapter to a person who has given distinguished service to Jacksonville State University or the Lambda Sigma Society provided the request has been approved by the chapter Advisor(s). Honorary members may have all privileges except voting in chapter matters.
Section 4. Active Membership Qualifications
The chapter shall establish attendance and participation policies, approved by the national board, for maintaining good standing within the chapter. These shall be provided to each member along with the dismissal procedures for failure to abide by the policies.
i. Participation Standards:
a. Members must attend every business meeting.
b. Acceptable excused absences are: death in the family, doctor’s appointment (with excuse), class/scholarship obligation (with documentation), other excuses will be determined by the Executive Committee as excused or unexcused. Members will be able to use up to three excused absences per semester. Members must notify the advisor(s) and secretary of their absence at least 24 hours before a meeting or event.
c. Members will be required to work at least 50% of the large scale events hosted by Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi, such as the Back to School Celebration and Halfway to Graduation Celebration.
d. Members will be required to attend two events hosted by Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi during each semester.
e. Members must participate in five hours of community service each semester, verified by the secretary.
ii. Academic Standards:
a. Members must maintain at least a 3.0 overall GPA during their year of service.
b. Members receiving a midterm grade (meaning they received a D or F at midterms in a course) must complete two hours of academic support services tutoring each week until the end of the semester.
c. Members whose GPA falls below a 3.0 after the first semester of membership will be put on warning and they must complete four hours of academic support services tutoring the following semester every week until midterm grades are posted.
iii. Dismissal Procedure:
Members may be dismissed if they fail to meet the obligations of membership with a majority vote of the chapter with final approval of the chapter advisor(s). Reasons for dismissal include:
a. Members who miss two or more meetings during a semester without an approved excuse or they miss four or more meetings with an approved excuse.
b. Members who fail to attend two events hosted by Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi.
c. Members who fail to work one of the large scale events.
Article IV. Selection of Lambda Sigma Membership
Section 1. Eligibility
To be eligible for membership a first-year student must be in the top 35% of his/her class, have an overall GPA of at least 3.0, and must have shown promise of leadership during the first year.
Section 2. Selection Process
The selection of members shall be in accordance with the processes and rituals established by the national organization. Members will be selected based on the following criteria:
i. Academics
a. Members must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be in the top 35% of their class.
b. This will be verified by the advisor(s) with written permission of the student.
c. All first year students with at least a 3.0 GPA and in the top 35% of their class will be invited to join Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi and will be invited to an interest meeting.
ii. Leadership.
a. Members must submit two references forms.
b. Forms may be filled out by either a JSU recognized organization advisor(s) or a full-time faculty/staff member from JSU.
iii. The Selection Committee
a. The Selection Committee shall consist of the advisor(s) and the graduate assistant(s) in the Dean of Students Office during the installment of this chapter.
b. Once the chapter is established the Selection Committee will consist of the advisor(s) and the ritual committee.
iv. Application
a. The application will be filled out online at the Dean of Students Office Lambda Sigma Society webpage.
b. The applications will be reviewed by the Selection Committee.
v. Interviews
a. Potential members will be invited to an interview based on their GPA and application score.
b. The interview will be conducted by the Selection Committee
vi. New Members
a. Upon review of interviews new members will be asked to join Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi and participate in the ritual and induction process.
b. The maximum number of new members will be not more than 50 students or 10% of the students in the first year class, whichever is the lower number.
c. Dues will be set at an amount determined by the chapter and will include the national dues as set by the National Society. Members must pay their dues of $80 by the initiation date.
Section 3. Ritual and Induction
New members shall be informed of the organization in a ritual known as the Gift of Acquaintance. They will be apprised of their membership in a ritual known as the Gift of Colors. They shall have the opportunity to accept membership through the Gift of Choice and shall, through the Gift of Knowledge, show evidence of understanding the nature of Lambda Sigma membership. New members shall be initiated in a ceremony known as the Gift of Fellowship.
Article V. Officers and Elections
Section 1. Officer Positions
During the first business meeting the chapter shall elect the following officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Specialist.
Section 2. Officer Election Process
Members will send in nominations for officers prior to the first official meeting. During the first meeting nominations will be verified by each member who was nominated and they will either accept or decline. Elections will take place during the first business meeting. Majority vote determines who is elected for each position. If there are more than two candidates and one person does not receive 51% or greater of votes than there will be a runoff election between the two candidates with the highest percentage of votes. The member with the majority vote will be sworn in as officer. After elections the newly elected officers must determine a time to meet weekly outside of regular meetings with the advisor(s).
Section 3. Vacant Positions
Vacancies in chapter offices shall be filled by a new election as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs. Nominations will be accepted for vacated positions immediately upon notice. There will be a one-week time frame for nominations to occur and then the chapter will vote on the new officer. The voting process will be the same as in the original officer election process.
Article VI. Officer Duties
Section 1. President
The president shall preside over all meetings of the chapter and the executive council. The president must also attend the National President’s Leadership Conference held in the fall of each year and oversee the submission of all required reports. Required reports completed by the president include the Mid-Year Status Report and President’s Annual Report. The president must meet with the advisor(s) on a regular basis as determined by the advisor(s) for an officer report. The president will also serve as the chair for the ritual committee.
Section 2. Vice-President
The vice-president shall assume the duties and responsibilities of the president whenever the president is unable to perform the duties of the office and serve as an ex officio member of all committees. The vice-president will assist the president in overseeing meetings. The vice-president will also coordinate the service planning process. He or she will be in charge of helping coordinate community service opportunities for all students and create a team to help promote community service projects on campus.
Section 3. Secretary
The secretary shall keep the minutes and records of attendance at all meetings and events, including the members who do not attend all of the required events. In the event that the secretary cannot make an event they can select a delegate who will report attendance back to them to document. The delegate must be a member who is not an officer and the secretary may select up to two delegates to serve in his/her absence. The secretary must keep a file dedicated to meeting minutes and email the minutes to the advisor(s) and the members after every meeting. The secretary will also serve as the chair of the membership committee.
Section 4. Treasurer
The treasurer shall keep a financial record of the organization and pay its accounts. The year-end Treasurer’s Report along with national dues for each new member, the Initiate List, and the conference assessment fee must be sent to the National Executive Secretary at the close of the school year. The treasurer will also serve as the chair of the programming committee.
Section 5. Public Relations Specialist
The public relations specialist will serve as the guide for this organization when it promotes events including creating flyers, collaborating with marketing, purchasing and designing banners, as well as any other marketing ideas. He or she will need to have access to social media, be able coordinate pictures for events, and must have the ability to positively reflect the work of Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi in an effort to increase interest in programming for members and for second year students. The public relations specialist will also serve as the chair of the social committee.
Article VII. Standing Committees
The chapter shall have the following standing committees: membership, ritual, service, social, and programming.
Section 1. Membership Committee
The membership committee will be organized by the secretary to make sure that members are keeping their membership credentials. They will also be tasked with making sure members receive their cords and other perks after members have completed their year of service.
Section 2. Ritual Committee
The ritual committee will be organized by the president. This committee will be responsible for making sure that ritual procedures are followed and they will be in charge of coordinating the ritual process including helping select and induct the new members of the Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi.
Section 3. Service Committee
The service committee will be organized by the vice-president. This committee will be in charge of creating service opportunities for Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi as well as the whole second year student body. They will also be in charge of documenting service hours and making sure every member receives his/her required service hours.
Section 4. Social Committee
The social committee will be organized by the public relations specialist. This committee will be in charge of creating social outlets for Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi as well as second year students.
Section 5. Programming Committee
The programming committee will be organized by the treasurer. This committee will be in charge of selecting and coordinating programs that will help second year students in their pursuit of a college degree. Programming topics include, but are not limited to: money management, upperclassman scholarship opportunities, career development, and how to select the correct major. Programming will be decided upon by the Lambda Sigma Chapter Beta Pi depending on what is relevant to current second year students yearly.
Article VIII. Advisors and Duties
Section 1.
The chapter shall have at least one faculty or administrative advisor from Jacksonville State University. A graduate assistant at Jacksonville State University may serve as a secondary advisor for the chapter.
Section 2.
The advisor(s) shall meet with the chapter, supervise the preparation for electing new members, advise the chapter officers, and perform any function deemed necessary for the welfare and progress of the chapter. The Advisor’s Report must be submitted at the end of the year.
Section 3. Alumnus Advisor
Once the chapter has been established for one year, the chapter shall have one currently enrolled alumnus as an advisor who shall advise the chapter officers as needed. This advisor will be nominated at the end of the year. Each member can nominate up to three members for Alumnus Advisor. The two members with the most nominations will be selected to be put on an Alumnus Advisor ballot. There will then be a chapter vote, excluding the two members in the running for Alumnus Advisor. The member with the majority vote will be selected. In the event of a tie there will be two Alumni Advisors for the following year. The Alumni Advisor(s) will participate in designated officer meetings and act as a consultant for the new officers.
Article IX. Executive Council
Section 1. Executive Council Members
The executive council shall consist of the elected officer positions, the Alumnus Advisor(s), and the chapter advisor(s). This committee shall set the agenda for each meeting and transact any emergency business. Reports shall be made at each Lambda Sigma Society Beta Pi meeting of all executive council meetings. The executive council reserves the right to propose changes to the chapter By-Laws. These changes must be approved by a two-thirds vote from the chapter.
Section 2. Executive Council Meetings
The executive council shall meet monthly while school is in session.
Article X. Meetings
Section 1. Required Meetings
The chapter shall meet bi-weekly when school is in session.
Section 2. Special Called Meetings
The chapter president has the authority to call a special meeting whenever the president and the advisor(s) deem such a meeting necessary. The president must give a 48-hour notice for a special called meeting.
Section 3. Meeting Structure
The chapter shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order when conducting meetings. A majority of members present shall constitute quorum during required and special called meetings.
Article XI. Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting or special meetings of the chapter by a two-thirds vote of the members present. Any bylaw revision shall be binding immediately upon national board approval.
Revised _________