Constitution and By-Laws

Constitution and By-Laws of the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega
University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Article I: Name, Affiliation, and Purpose

Section 1. NAME. The name of this organization shall be Kappa Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega.

Section 2. AFFILIATION This Chapter shall be conducted as a Service Fraternity under the policies, principles and provisions set forth in the National Articles of Incorporation, National Bylaws, and the Standard Chapter Articles of Association of Alpha Phi Omega.

Section 3. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Chapter is to assemble the students of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in a national service fraternity dedicated to the principles of the Boy Scout Oath and Law, to developing Leadership, to promoting Friendship, to providing Service to humanity; and to furthering the freedom that is our national, educational, and intellectual heritage.

Article II: Membership

Section 1. ELIGIBILITY.Membership in this chapter is open to all undergraduates at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and may not be denied on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, course of study, or other fraternal affiliation. Membership in this chapter is granted only upon approval of the applicant by this chapter, and after the applicant fulfills the membership requirements prescribed by this chapter.

Section 2. CLASSIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS. The classification of Brothers shall be:

ACTIVE

An Active Brother shall be any Brother who is currently enrolled as a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst MUST; complete ten (10) hours of community service by the university’s mid-semester date and twenty (20) hours of community service by the end of semester date, pay all chapter and national dues, attend at least one (1) meeting, Brotherhood or Executive Committee, in the past three (3) weeks, and indicate their desire to the Membership Vice-President to be on the Active Brother roster. Active Brothers receive all notices of the Fraternity and may participate in all chapter activities. Actives shall be entitled to a vote at all meetings.  The Treasurer may set a dues deadline to be approved by the Executive Board.  Any brother who pays dues after the deadline shall have to meet the requirements for reinstatement for an Associate Brother as defined in Section 2. B.  A late fee may be set by the Treasurer and approved by the Executive Board.

ASSOCIATE

An associate brother shall be any confirmed brother of the fraternity who has paid his/her semester dues in full or has arranged to pay dues in a timely manner at the discretion of the Treasurer and has met one or both of the following criteria: 1) brother had not been in attendance for three consecutive meetings.  2) has not met the minimum required number of service hours by the mid-semester or end of semester date. Associate brothers shall not be entitled to a vote or to hold office or position within the chapter and shall forfeit those rights until at which time they are reinstated as an active brother. A brother may be reinstated to active membership upon attendance at two consecutive meetings. In addition, the brother must seek the final approval of the Executive board via a written letter before full privileges are restored.

INACTIVE

An Inactive Brother shall be any Brother who is not an Active or Associate Brother. Inactive Brothers may become active Brothers at any time by fulfilling the requirements for Active Membership outlined in Article II, Section 2A.

ALUMNI

An alumni brother shall be any brother of Kappa Omicron chapter who has completed the prescribed course of studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst or is a current graduate student of the University or has transferred to another institution to complete the studies initiated at the University. Alumni shall be kept informed through an expression of interest in maintaining a relationship with the undergraduate chapter. Alumni brothers are not entitled to a vote at any meeting of the chapter.

ADVISORY

Advisory membership may be conferred upon persons approved by the chapter to serve on the Advisory Committee, who shall have all rights and privileges of active membership, except those of voting or holding office in the chapter, other than Chair of the Advisory Committee. Such membership may not be conferred upon undergraduate students.

HONORARY

Honorary Membership may be conferred by unanimous vote of the active Brothers present at any regularly called meeting where a quorum prevails, upon educators, scouters, outstanding citizens, and others whom the Chapter determines to have merited such honor by significant contributions to the ideals and purposes of Alpha Phi Omega. Persons so honored shall have all rights and privileges of active membership, except those of voting and holding office. Such membership may not be bestowed upon undergraduate students.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

For the purposes of this article, the term graduate students will include individuals having a Bachelor's Degree as well as those pursuing a Master's or Doctoral Degree and are registered as students at the University of Massachusetts.

Kappa Omicron Chapter welcomes the participation of graduate students in the activities of the Chapter.

1. Elected Office - Graduate students may not hold any elected office within the Chapter; however, they may hold appointed positions or chair service projects.
2. Signature Responsibility - Graduate students may not be given signature responsibility over any funds of the Chapter.
3. Voting - Graduate students may not vote in the election of officers or on items of Chapter business. They may, however, vote on general decisions such as banquet menu, glassware and similar items.
4. Awards - Graduate students are not eligible for any of the standard awards of the Chapter; however, they are eligible for joke awards, Chapter Certificates of Appreciation, The Frank J. Evans Alumni Service Award and any other awards that the Chapter designates for graduate students in the future.
5. Big Brothers - In general, graduate students may not hold the position of big brother to any pledge. At the discretion of a majority of the Chapter, this condition may be waived if the number of Active brothers requires it.
6. Pledging - Graduate students at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst may pledge Kappa Omicron Chapter and have the same requirements (See National Pledging Fees) and privileges as undergraduate pledges, as outlined in the Pledging section of the Bylaws.
7. Active Status - Since graduate students may not hold any elected office and in general, may not vote; there will be no active fee levied upon them. However, if the Chapter assesses fees which differentiate between Active, Inactive and Alumni, any graduate student who maintains the number of service hours required that semester for Active brothers, will be charged at the Active rate.

Section 3. MEMBERSHIP RECORDS. A permanent record of the Active, Advisory, Honorary and Alumni Brothers of this chapter shall be kept on file in the archives of the chapter. This record shall include all relevant contact information and any other information potentially pertinent to active members (i.e. employment, membership in organizations, volunteer affiliations) and shall be the property of the chapter in care of the Administrative Vice President.

Section 4. SUSPENSION. For just cause, and after due deliberation, a Brother may be suspended from the chapter by the affirmative vote of three quarters (3/4) of the active Brothers present at any regularly called meeting at which a quorum of the Brotherhood prevails. Notification of the vote must be given to the Brotherhood at least one (1) week in advance. Furthermore, the Brother in question must be given the opportunity to defend himself. Upon the discretion of the Executive Committee, and an affirmative three quarters (3/4) vote of the Brotherhood, a petition may be made to the National Board of Directors to affix a letter of suspension to the individual's membership record. Suspended Brothers may be reinstated upon a majority vote of the active Brothers present at any regularly scheduled meeting at which quorum prevails.

Section 5. TRANSFERS. This chapter shall automatically confer membership on any student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who was an Active Brother of another chapter of Alpha Phi Omega and left in good standing. The chapter shall confer the membership classification most appropriate to the individual with respect to the membership classification system at the University and the Brother's initial institution.

Article III: Officers

Section 1. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS. The Executive Officers of this Chapter shall be the President, the Service Vice-President, the Membership Vice-President, the Fellowship Vice-President, the Administrative Vice-President, and Treasurer. Executive Officers shall be elected in the spring semester and shall serve a term of two (2) semesters beginning the following fall. To actively seek Executive Office in Kappa Omicron Chapter, a Brother must meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in Article III, Section 4.

Section 2. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS. The Administrative Officers of this Chapter shall be the Sergeant-at-Arms, Scouting Liaison, Pledge Trainer, Assistant Pledge Trainer, Alumni Secretary, Rush Coordinator and Historian. Administrative Officers shall serve a term of one (1) semester.

Section 3. VOTING DELEGATES. This Chapter shall elect the voting delegates to the National Convention, if any number of delegates other than two (2), meet the criteria as outlined in Section 4.

Section 4. ELIGIBILITY. Eligibility to hold Executive Office in this Chapter shall require at least one (1) semester's active membership in the Chapter. Seniors preparing to enter their final undergraduate semester at the University of Massachusetts shall not be eligible for election to an Executive Office in this chapter. These qualifications shall apply as well to the voting delegates to the National Convention.

Section 5. OFFICE HOURS. Executive Officers shall be required to make themselves available to Brothers of the chapter in the chapter office at least two (2) hours per week.

Section 6. SIGNATURE RESPONSIBILITY. The Chapter President and the Chapter Treasurer shall hold signature responsibility for the Chapter under the guidelines established by the Center for Student Development.

Article IV: Duties of Officers

Section 1. PRESIDENT. The President shall give supervision to the Chapter and its officers, and see that its constitutional, national, and local duties and obligations are fulfilled.  He shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and the Executive Committee, shall serve as a member of the Advisory Committee, and shall be an ex-officio member of all other committees. He shall follow the authorized procedures in conjunction with the appropriate Vice-President in appointing regular committee chairs and special committees. He will follow through in seeing that the committee personnel are properly selected. He shall appoint all special committees necessary for expediency in carrying out the program of the chapter. With the approval of the brotherhood, he shall appoint the scouting liaison each semester.  He shall maintain custody of the Ritual except when in use by other officers in preparation for and in conducting official ceremonies. He shall perform such other duties as his office may require.

Section 2. SERVICE VICE-PRESIDENT. The Service Vice-President shall serve as the chair of the Service Committee which shall consist of no less than five (5) permanent members and two ad hoc members in addition to the Service Vice-President. The Service Vice-President shall appoint five (5) permanent members to the Service Committee: the Service to the Campus Chair, the Service to the Community Chair, the Service to the Fraternity Chair, the Academics Chair, and the Scout Liaison, with the approval of the Brotherhood. The Service Vice-President shall appoint all project coordinators for individual service projects. He shall maintain a record of all the service reports written by the project chairs. He shall prepare service budgets, when necessary, in consultation with the Treasurer. He shall maintain accurate records and instructions of how to run traditional Kappa Omicron service projects. He shall be responsible for coordinating the final scheduling of service project dates. He shall perform all presidential functions in the absence of the President and shall carry out such assignments as the President may direct.

Section 3. MEMBERSHIP VICE-PRESIDENT. The Membership Vice-President shall serve as chair of the Committee on Membership and Pledging. He shall be responsible for appointing and supervising a Rush Coordinator each semester and for the retention of chapter Brothers. He shall organize and execute a pledge retreat which shall take place within the first three (3) weeks of the pledges’ inductions. He shall obtain an accurate written record of the attendance of each Brother at all Chapter meetings and inform the Executive Committee whenever any member becomes delinquent or inactive. He shall keep in a permanent file the duplicate of each membership application, beginning with the Chapter's charter Brothers and including all subsequent Brothers. He shall have the power to appoint an alumni secretary, if he desires. He shall perform all presidential functions in the absence of the President and Service Vice-President, and shall carry out such other assignments as the President may direct.

Section 4. FELLOWSHIP VICE-PRESIDENT. The Fellowship Vice-President shall serve as the chair of the Fellowship Committee. He shall also ensure that traditional chapter events, including the Fellowship Banquet and Cabin Weekend, are successfully executed. He may appoint a banquet chairman and a cabin chair if he so desires.  He shall perform all presidential functions in the absence of the President, Service Vice-President and Membership Vice-President, and shall carry out such other assignments as the President may prescribe.

Section 5. ADMINISTRATIVE VICE-PRESIDENT. The Administrative Vice-President shall assist the President in supervising all chapter activities. He shall serve as coordinator between all chapter committees and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The Administrative Vice-President shall be responsible for maintaining the calendar, the Chapter Handbook, developing any materials initiated by himself or any other chapter officers necessary for the expedient administration of the chapter, developing a contact list for both active brothers and alumni brothers, maintaining the bulletin boards, and for ways to keep the office in a neat and orderly fashion. He shall keep accurate minutes from all chapter and committee meetings. He shall regularly update the Chapter Handbook, in consultation with the Executive Committee, to reflect policy and procedures voted by the Brotherhood. He shall appoint the Historian and the Corresponding Secretary with the approval of the Brotherhood. He shall perform all other Presidential functions in the absence of the President and the several vice-presidents and shall carry out such other assignments as the President may prescribe.

Section 6. TREASURER.The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the chapter and keep an accurate record thereof. He shall make all payments of the chapter upon proper authorization. He shall collect all dues, fees, and assessments of the chapter and deposit said funds with the proper business manager of the University. He shall be responsible for the filing of the appropriate forms with the Internal Revenue Service and Massachusetts Commissioner of Revenue. He shall keep the chapter informed on the condition of the Treasury. He shall work with his predecessor and the Finance Committee in establishing a budget for the term of his office, to be presented before the Brotherhood at the first chapter meeting of each semester. He shall maintain a file on all responsibilities and aspects on the office of Treasurer. He shall perform all other duties as are required by his office, or directed by the President.

Section 7. SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.The Sergeant-at-Arms shall guard the portal and perform such disciplinary and parliamentary procedures as are deemed necessary by the President. He shall distribute ballot sheets on all occasions when voting is done in writing, then upon instruction of the presiding officer assemble the ballots and have charge of the counting.  He shall have no vote on any issue having a closed ballot.  At the request of the Sergeant-at-Arms the President will appoint another neutral party to count the ballots of a particular question if one is available.  He shall serve as Chapter ombudsman to settle disputes between Brothers and/or Pledges. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall serve as the Chapter Parliamentarian. He shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Brotherhood.

Section 8. SERVICE PROJECT COORDINATORS.Each Project Coordinator shall be appointed by the Service Vice-President. He shall be responsible for the organization of a specific service project and the recruitment of Brothers to participate in this service project. He shall be responsible for completing a service project report in a timely fashion and filing it in the Chapter office. He shall report the progress and status of project to the Service Vice-President. He shall notify the Service Vice-President of all problems concerning the organization of the service project

Section 9. SCOUT LIAISON.The Scout Liaison is responsible for maintaining contact and friendly relations with the Girl Scout and Boy Scout Councils for service projects and membership reasons. The President may select, subject to chapter approval, up to two (2) liaisons, one to work with the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the other to work with the Boy Scouts of America.

Section 10. PLEDGE TRAINER.The Pledge Trainer shall provide all pledges the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Alpha Phi Omega and become inspired with the spirit of Brotherhood in this Fraternity before their initiation into active membership. He shall appoint from the Active Brother roster Big Brothers for each of the pledges under the criteria established in Article XI Section 2. He shall secure the necessary membership applications from all new Pledges and all new Brothers and forward them to the National Executive Director. He shall be appointed by the Membership Vice-President, subject to the approval of the Brotherhood.  Nominees for Pledge Trainer should be active brothers for at least one semester following their pledge semester and active for at least one semester directly preceding their proposed term of office.

The assistant pledge trainer assists the pledge trainer in any and all pledge activities.

Section 11. ALUMNI SECRETARY.The Alumni Secretary shall be appointed by the Administrative Vice-President upon approval of the Brotherhood. He shall be the chair of the Alumni Committee. He shall enlist the support of the Alumni Brothers in the matters of program and membership of the Chapter. He shall work in cooperation with the other chapter officers in arranging for at least one (1) major event each year in which the Alumni will be especially invited and will have an honored position on the program. He shall plan ways of rendering service, courtesies, and recognition to Alumni Brothers returning to campus for special college functions. He shall endeavor to inform all Alumni about chapter activities by means of a regular Alumni newsletter.

Section 12. RUSH COORDINATOR.The Rush Coordinator shall be appointed by the Membership Vice-President with the consent of the Brotherhood. He shall be responsible for coordinating rush during the semester of his appointment. He shall keep a record of all activities coordinated for the rush period including informational meetings, methods of publicity and Residential Directors contacted. He shall keep accurate records on the quantities and methods used in postering, various means of publicity, attendance records at various rush locations, and budget information covering all aspects of rush.

Section 13. HISTORIAN.The Historian shall write a detailed and accurate history of the chapter covering the period of his office. He shall maintain a scrapbook containing photographs, newspaper clippings and correspondence pertaining to the activities of the chapter during his term of office. He shall be responsible for the promotion and preservation of all chapter traditions. He shall write a summary of not less than two paragraphs of the major fellowship, membership, and service projects of the chapter, and shall write up a one to two page semester synopsis which shall include, but not be limited to Chapter and Pledge Class officers, projects, award recipients, conclaves and other fraternity conferences, and other major events of the chapter to be included in the Chapter Handbook. The historian shall be responsible for obtaining information and photographs from all major events, and produce a scrapbook which covers his term of office.

Section 14. RITUAL CHAIR.The ritual chair shall be appointed semesterly by the Membership Vice-President with the approval of the Brotherhood. He shall insure that proper preparations are made for appropriate rituals with regards to properties, attendance, coordination of choreography, and other methods to improve the quality of the Ritual.  He shall be responsible for maintaining all chapter equipment associated with rituals.

Article V: Nominations, Elections, Appointments

Section 1. NOMINATION.At least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the officer election meeting of the chapter, a nomination period shall take place at a general meeting. Any Active Brother may nominate any active Brother, including themselves, for any position open for election.

Section 2. PROCEDURE..All elections of chapter officers shall be by ballot. The order of election shall be: President, Service Vice-President, Membership Vice-President, Fellowship Vice-President, Administrative Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary. If a nominee does not win, he may drop down and run in any of the remaining elections. Proxy voting, absentee voting, or pair voting shall not be permitted.

Section 3. ELECTION.A majority vote is required for election to any office in this chapter at which quorum prevails. In an election involving more than two (2) candidates, if none receive a majority of the votes cast, another vote is to be taken between the candidates with the two (2) highest amount of votes in order to determine a winner.

Section 4. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS.The Executive Committee shall meet upon election in the fall semester, and at least two weeks prior to the end of the spring semester to decide upon a slate of administrative officers. The Executive Committee shall produce a slate to be presented and approved, by the brotherhood, as a whole slate for the current semester's administrative offices.

Section 5. CHANGES IN EXECUTIVE OFFICES

Vacancies.

Vacancies in Executive offices shall be announced at a regularly scheduled meeting of the chapter. At least one (1) week notice must be given to hold the election to fill a vacancy. Terms of office for Executive Officers elected to fill vacancies shall terminate upon the end of the term of their predecessor. A Brother elected to fill a vacancy shall be considered to have held the office for the purpose of reelection if he shall have served more than one half (1/2) of the term. Brothers selected to fill vacancies must have been eligible at the time of the original election to seek the vacant office.

Impeachments.

Impeachments of Executive Officers can be initiated through the petitioning of two thirds plus one (2/3+1) of the Active Brothers. The petition must include the charges brought against the officer in question, and must cite precise incidents and facts. The petition shall be delivered to the Chair of the Advisory Committee who shall serve as the Chair for the impeachment proceedings. The Executive Officer in question must be notified in writing of the impeachment proceeding and must be given at least seven (7) days to prepare for his defense.

Section 6. ELIGIBILITY.Under no circumstances shall any person who is not an Active Brother of Kappa Omicron Chapter be entitled to cast any votes for any candidates running for office, nor shall any Brother who is not an Active or Associate Brother be entitled to seek or receive appointment to any administrative office.

Section 7. TIME OF ELECTION AND TERM OF OFFICE.

Chapter officers shall be elected by the Chapter at least two (2) weeks before the beginning of final examinations and after the midpoint of the semester at the University of Massachusetts.  Any undergraduate officer may succeed himself once if so elected by the Chapter.  Officers shall hold their terms until the end of the semester, but shall begin training their successor immediately following the election.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 2. MEETING TIME.The chapter meetings shall be held Sunday Evenings at 7:00 PM unless a different time shall be determined at least one week in advance by the Executive Committee.

Section 3. FREQUENCY. There shall be at least one meeting each week of the academic year.  There shall be at least one (1) open meeting each semester for prospective pledges.

Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS.Special meetings of the Chapter may be called by the President or the Executive Committee on their own initiative or upon the written request of one-third (1/3) of the active Brotherhood of the Chapter. The President shall call a special meeting of the chapter to be held within fifteen (15) days after the presentation of such a request. In the case the President does not comply with the request within the required time, a request in writing of one-third (1/3) of the active Brotherhood of the chapter may be presented to the Chair of the Advisory Committee, who shall call and preside over a special meeting of the chapter within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the request. A notice of all special meetings shall contain a statement of the purpose or special business to be transacted during the meeting.

Section 5. QUORUM.A quorum at all regular and special meetings of this chapter shall be fifty per cent plus one, (50%+1) of the active Brothers of this Chapter, as defined in Article II, Section 2, Clause A of these Bylaws.

Section 6. VISITORS.Non-members interested in visiting a chapter meeting must obtain prior approval of the chair.

Section 7. SEATING.Only Executive Officers and the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be seated at the head table at any chapter meeting.

Article VII: Executive Committee

Section 1. COMPOSITION.The Executive Committee of this Chapter shall consist of the President, the several Vice- Presidents, Treasurer, Administrative Vice-President, all past Presidents (ex officio) and Chair of the Advisory Committee (ex officio). The President shall serve as Chair. The Faculty and Scouting Advisors and Brothers may be invited to the meetings of the Executive Committee, and may be given the opportunity to participate in the discussions, but shall have no voting privileges.

Section 2. MEETINGS. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once every two (2) school weeks. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be held subject to the call of the President, or upon written request of a majority of the Executive Committee. Quorum for Executive Committee shall be four (4) voting members.

Executive Board members may not miss more than one (1) Executive Board committee meeting within a three (3) week period.

Section 3. DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.The Executive Committee shall exercise all the powers of the Chapter whenever a question cannot be brought before the Brotherhood in a timely manner. Any such action taken by the Executive Committee shall be subject to review by the Brotherhood at the next regularly scheduled meeting where quorum prevails and may be overturned by an affirmative majority vote by the Brotherhood.

At the beginning of each semester the Executive Committee shall develop a set of quantitative goals to be worked on during the semester. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the initiation of these goals. The Executive Committee shall periodically check on the progress of these goals and recommend appropriate action to the Brotherhood. At the end of each semester, the Executive Committee shall make a written evaluation of the status of these goals and present it to the next Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall advise the President in the coordination of all Chapter functions. The Executive Committee shall review and discuss the issues currently affecting the chapter and make recommendations. These recommendations shall be presented to the Brotherhood.

The Executive Committee shall at regular intervals, check on the program and projects of the chapter.

The Executive Committee shall review the status of each Brother within the first month of the semester, and at the first Executive Committee meeting of each full month, and shall make the appropriate changes in classification, if necessary. Any changes in status shall be reported to the Brotherhood at the next general meeting.

A list of all Brothers and their classifications shall be posted on the official chapter bulletin board and changes shall be made on the list when necessary.

The Executive Committee shall have the sole authority to speak as the authorized representative of the chapter, with the consent of the Brotherhood whenever possible. Executive Committee statements can be made through any of the Executive Officers with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Any problems concerning pledging may be referred to the Executive Committee which shall have complete authority over all matters and individuals involved in pledging.

Section 4. TOOLS FOR EXECUTIVE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (TERM).There shall be a Tools for Executive Resource Management (TERM) guide to be distributed to the members of the Executive Committee each semester. The TERM guide shall contain information concerning chapter administration, planning and executing special chapter events, and other information as deemed relevant to the successful administration of Kappa Omicron Chapter.

Article VIII: Advisory Committee

Section 1. MEMBERSHIP.The Chapter Advisors and the Chapter President shall constitute the Advisory Committee of the Chapter. The Chair shall be chosen at the first meeting of the fall semester of the current academic year.

Section 2. MEETINGS.The Advisory Committee shall meet monthly during the academic year for the purpose of discussing and planning the Chapter program and administration.

Section 3. PURPOSE.The Advisory Committee shall give leadership to getting the program of the Chapter under way at the beginning of each semester.

Section 4. CHAIR.The Chair of the Advisory Committee shall call and preside at meetings of the Advisory Committee. He shall make periodic reports to the National Fraternity as outlined in the requirements of the National Constitution and Bylaws. He shall call and preside at special chapter meetings at any time upon the written request of one-third (1/3) of the active Brothers when it is not possible to secure said meeting through the regular procedure as prescribed in the National Constitution and Bylaws and in the Constitution and Bylaws of this Chapter. (See Article I National Bylaws and Article V Chapter Bylaws). He shall serve as presiding officer at any trials of misconduct of chapter Brothers. He shall assign each advisor to active duty on one of the chapter committees. He shall attend meetings regularly and serve as advisor and counselor at all times to the chapter, its Brothers, and its officers.

Section 5. COMPOSITION.The advisors of this chapter shall be those elected by the Chapter, and shall include Faculty Advisors and Scouting Advisors. One of the Scouting advisors shall be the Scout Executive or one of his staff designated by him, and one shall be a volunteer Scouter. The chapter shall seek at least one Scouting advisor involved with the Boy Scout program and at least one Scouting advisor involved with the Girl Scout program. One of the Faculty Advisors shall be elected by the Chapter as Chair of the Advisory Committee.

1. Faculty Advisors The Faculty Advisors shall encourage the development of high fraternal and scholastic standards. They shall assist the chapter in planning and carrying out projects. They shall attend chapter meetings as regularly as possible. They shall serve as members of the Advisory Committee. They shall serve as personal advisors and counselors on chapter matters at all times. They shall serve as special advisors to the respective chapter committees as assigned by the Chair of the Advisory Committee. With the Chair, they shall give leadership to getting the chapter program under way at the beginning of each semester.
2. Scouting Advisors The Scouting Advisors shall give counsel and advice to the chapter regarding its Scouting relationships. They shall encourage high fraternal and Scouting standards. They shall attend chapter meetings as regularly as possible. They shall serve as members of the Advisory Committee. They shall give assistance to the chapter in planning and carrying out projects which are in the interest of the Scouting movement and the community at large. Working with the Faculty Advisors, they shall give leadership to getting the chapter program under way at the beginning of each semester.

Article IX: Chapter Committees

Section 1. SERVICE COMMITTEE.The duties of this committee shall be:

• To make plans for conducting traditional service projects of the chapter if the chapter so desires. Traditional service projects are those which are regular events in the Chapter service program as outlined in the Chapter Handbook. Traditional service projects with poor Brotherhood response (determined by the evaluations from the previous semester/year) may be discontinued upon the recommendation of the Service Vice-President and the approval of the service committee.
• To obtain and review suggestions from students, campus organizations, faculty, college officials, and advisors, as well as individuals, agencies, and organizations in the community for possible new service projects.
• To deliberate the feasibility of all suggestions, and present suggested service projects to the Executive Committee and Brotherhood for approval.
• To be responsible for organizing and recruiting brothers who will be responsible for organizing and recruiting Brothers to conduct service projects, if necessary, assigning individuals with specific duties to be performed.
• To interact with project chairs to insure the successful completion of service projects undertaken by the brotherhood.
• To work with the publicity coordinator on projects requiring advertising coverage.
• To direct the Project Coordinator to complete a written Service Project Report in a timely fashion.
• The Service Committee will provide a calendar of service projects, to be posted at least one (1) month in advance.
• All Service Project Coordinators shall be ad hoc members of this committee when deliberation or discussion concerns the service project for which they are acting as Project Coordinator.
• All Service Chairs shall be members of this committee.
• To analyze the Brotherhood Evaluations of each service project for its effectiveness and the Brotherhood's desire to do it again.
• To decide how many Project Coordinators are necessary to organize a specific service project effectively.
• Any service project lacking the necessary number of Project Coordinators may be canceled, if this lack is perceived by the committee to reflect a lack of interest on the part of the Brotherhood as a whole.
• To determine what constitutes service hours for brothers, the weighted value to be given to certain activities and to work with the pledge trainer and MVP to decide what constitutes service hours for pledges.

Section 2. COMMITTEE ON MEMBERSHIP AND PLEDGING.The duties of this committee shall be:

1. To hold open meetings of the chapter at the beginning of each semester to which prospective members will be invited.
2. To check the qualifications and eligibility of new students and invite students to pledge.
3. To assist in the training of Pledges in the fundamentals of Alpha Phi Omega and to assist in preparing them for active membership in this Chapter.
4. To assume the execution of formal initiation services for new Brothers.
5. To plan and carry out membership campaigns and work toward definite membership goals.
6. To assist in the establishment of Alpha Phi Omega chapters at other colleges and universities.
7. To review the status of Brothers and make a determination when required.

Section 3. FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE. This committee operates under the direction of the Fellowship Vice-President.  The duties of this committee shall be:

1. To promote a spirit of fellowship among the chapter's Brothers.
2. To create and maintain a spirit of friendship toward all prospective members who visit chapter meetings.
3. To plan and carry out social events for the purpose of fellowship.
4. To make a full report to the succeeding committee.
5. To promote Brotherhood spirit by participation in campus intramural athletics and other campus activities.
6. The fellowship committee shall make recommendations, with input from the Brotherhood, on nicknames to be awarded to Brothers upon initiation into active membership. The Fellowship Vice-President shall have the authority to determine the nickname the chapter shall award a Brother upon initiation into active membership if the Fellowship Committee cannot reach a decision. In no case shall the Fellowship Vice-President have the authority to exclusively decide nicknames.
7. To develop and maintain traditional projects of the chapter as outlined in the Chapter Handbook.

Section 6. ARCHIVES COMMITTEE.The duties of this committee shall be:

1. To maintain in an orderly fashion all permanent records of the chapter, including:
   1. Duplicates of all membership and pledge applications, beginning with the charter Brothers, and including all subsequent Brothers;
   2. An accurate and up-to-date record of the names, addresses, and occupations of all Brothers; active, associate, honorary, advisory, or alumni;
   3. All minutes of business and committee meetings;
   4. All correspondence of the Chapter;
   5. All committee reports, which shall be submitted in writing for inclusion into the archives;
   6. The history of the Chapter, as supplied by the historian;
   7. All Treasurer reports.
2. To make any of these records available upon request.
3. Members of this committee shall be the Administrative Vice-President, the Recording Secretary, the Sergeant-At-Arms, the Historian, and the Alumni Secretary. The Historian shall serve as Chair of the Archives Committee.

Article X: Finance

Section 1. FEES. Each person becoming an active Brother of this chapter shall be required to pay a national membership fee as required by the National Fraternity. He shall also pay a chapter fee for payment of his pledge period to be requested by the Membership Vice-President in consultation with the treasurer, subject to the approval of the Brotherhood.

Section 2. DUES. The chapter dues for active Brothers shall be set by a majority vote of the Brothers present at the last meeting of the semester for the following semester.

Section 3. EXPENDITURESAll expenditures of chapter funds greater than two hundred (200) dollars outside the previously established chapter budget must be approved by the Brotherhood at a meeting where quorum prevails. All other expenditures need approval of the president and Treasurer and are subject to review of the Brotherhood at the next meeting where quorum prevails.

Article XI: Pledging

Section 1. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.To be eligible for initiation into active membership in this chapter, a pledge must complete the minimum requirements as follows:

1. Clearly demonstrate a desire to be a Brother in service.
2. Clearly demonstrate a desire to be a Brother in Friendship
3. Complete a minimum number of service hours (at least 20) assigned by the Membership Committee.
4. Obtain a minimum average (75 per cent) on pledge quizzes as established by the Pledge Trainer in conjunction with the Membership Committee.
5. Interview 2/3+1 of the active brothers plus at least one advisor if not more, approved by the brother’s signature.
6. F.  Wear the Pledge Pin in an appropriate manner above the chest level and visibly accessible at all times, and have the Pledge Manual present at all meetings.
7. Pledging shall be no less than 6 school weeks, nor more than 18 school weeks. Any Pledge who has not been initiated after 18 school weeks shall be automatically deferred.
8. Participate in both a service project and fellowship project that were planned and carried out by the Pledge Class on its own initiative prior to initiation.
9. Pay appropriate pledge and initiation fees on or before due dates.
10. Attend a minimum of 75 percent of all pledge meetings.
11. Spend a minimum of 10 hours per semester in the Chapter office.
12. Attend a minimum of 3 brotherhood meetings.

Section 2. BIG BROTHERS. Big Brothers will be selected within the first two weeks of the pledge period. The selection will be done by a committee consisting of the president, the membership vice-president, the pledge trainer and assistant pledge trainer. The committee will take a brother’s seniority of initiation into the brotherhood and graduation date into consideration when assigning “big brothership” as well as any intangibles they see fit.

Section 3. PLEDGE PROGRAMThe Membership Vice-President, entertaining suggestions from the Committee on Membership and Pledging, shall establish the pledge program, with the minimum standards as established in Article XI, Section 1. The Membership Vice-President may enhance these requirements, but only with the approval of the Executive Committee. The pledge program shall include a list of specific goals the Pledges should accomplish. This list shall be presented to the Pledges at the beginning of their pledge period. The expanded pledge program shall be detailed in writing.

Section 4. SERVICE HOURSHours given to pledges for service projects to complete pledging requirements shall be decided by the Membership Vice-President, in consultation with the Service Vice-President and the Committee on Membership and Pledging.

Section 5. RESPONSIBILITIESAdditional tasks must be outlined in the Chapter Handbook. These may be assigned to pledges by the Pledge Trainer with advice and consent of the Committee on Membership and Pledging for any of the following reasons:

• Failure to wear the Pledge Pin, or failure to wear the Pledge Pin properly, as defined by the Committee on Membership and Pledging.
• Failure to carry the Pledge Manual at required times and failure to present it when asked to present it by any Brother of this Fraternity.
• Failure to provide proper notification to a Project Chair when unavailable to participate in a project for which the Pledge has previously volunteered.
• Unexcused absences at any pledge meeting.

Section 6. APPEALAny additional tasks may be appealed by a pledge with just reason to the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall have the power to remove any additional tasks he feels to be unjust.

Section 7. GRIEVANCESAny complaints of Brothers against Pledges and/or Pledges against Brothers may be brought before the Sergeant-at-Arms to be discussed and acted upon.

Section 8. ACCEPTANCEPledges who have completed all requirements as prescribed by the membership committee and who have had their completion verified by the membership vice president and the pledge trainer(s) may be brought to a vote of acceptance at a regularly called meeting where quorum prevails. A majority affirmative vote will be required to accept the pledge into active membership. Pledges who do not complete all requirements as prescribed by the membership committee will not be voted upon and will be informed that they have the option to defer for a period of one (1) semester as outlined in Article XI Section 9.

Section 9. DEFERRALAny pledge who has received a vote of rejection, on any basis, shall have the option to defer the pledge process. The pledge who has chosen to defer may defer their pledge hours to the next semester’s pledging period or may defer their hours to any semester within a three semester period. The deferred pledge shall retain all hours completed in the original pledge period, but must complete the requirements set forth in Section 1 and any contingencies set forth by the Membership Vice-President with the recommendation of the brotherhood. In addition, the pledge must; complete a minimum of five (5) extra office hours, complete a minimum of five (5) extra service hours, attend all pledge activities (i.e. pledge service project and pledge fellowship project), and the pledge must attend a minimum of 70 per cent of all pledge meetings. The Membership Vice-President shall have the responsibility of keeping track of the hours completed and the required contingencies.

Section 10. STUDY HOURSPledges must complete a minimum number of study hours as assigned by the membership committee.

Article XII: Chapter Handbook

Section 1. CONTENTThere shall be a Kappa Omicron Chapter Handbook distributed to each Pledge/Brother which shall contain the chapter history, the chapter bylaws, the current policies of the chapter, a current Brother and Pledge roster, information about the chapter's pledge program policies, and other information as deemed appropriate by the chapter.

Section 2. POLICIESThe Handbook shall reflect the current policies of the chapter. Any information regarding the pledge program, the membership, fellowship, or service programs, chapter finance policies, or administrative policies voted upon by the chapter shall be included in the handbook.

Section 3. PRECEDENTSPolicy voted into the Chapter Handbook shall be adhered to by all Brothers and Pledges. Any modifications by an individual without the approval of the Brotherhood shall not be endorsed by the chapter. The policies and precedents of Administrative and Executive Officers shall be included upon the majority vote of the chapter.

Section 4. AMENDMENTSFuture officers and Brothers will be held to these policies until amended, which shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Brotherhood at any meeting to change an already existing policy.

Section 5. NOTIFICATION OF AMENDMENTPolicies and information maintained in the handbook may be amended with a week's notification to the chapter. A written copy of the proposed changes must be made available for review.

Section 6. UPDATEThe Administrative Vice-President shall make the necessary changes to the Chapter Handbook to reflect the policies voted upon by the Brotherhood. Any items in the handbook changed by external organizations or the National Fraternity may be amended by the Administrative Vice-President as more appropriate information becomes available.

Article XIII: Awards & Recognition

Section 1. AWARDS COMMITTEEThere shall be an ad hoc Awards Committee created each semester for the purposes of selecting recipients for fraternity awards.

1. Schedule. The committee shall be formed each semester at least one month prior to the selection meeting date. The committee's only meeting for the semester shall be held immediately after an Advisory Committee meeting in the second or third month of the semester.
2. Composition. The committee shall be composed of the Advisory Committee, three Active Brothers selected by the chapter, and one past recipient of the Distinguished Service Key selected by the Brotherhood, and up to three Alumni. The members of the committee shall be nominated during a regular chapter meeting and voted upon at the next chapter meeting. The past recipient of the Distinguished Service Key and the Alumni need not accept their nominations to be a candidate. All Distinguished Service Key recipients from the chapter may attend the Awards Committee meeting for consultation.
3. Procedure. Nominees for awards must have a submitted written nomination form by another Brother of the chapter. The nomination should be sealed and presented one week prior to the awards committee vote, indicating the award the candidate is nominated for, and how the individual meets the criteria for that award.
4. Review. The committee shall make recommendations to the Brotherhood on ways to improve the process for selecting award recipients.
5. Weighting. The committee shall place no weight on the graduation dates of any candidates for any awards. The only criteria to be considered shall be the efforts of each nominee.

Section 2. PROCEEDINGSThe proceedings of the Awards Committee shall be held in the strictest confidence. Under no circumstances should members of the committee discuss the candidates, the recipients, or any other proceedings of the nominating committee outside of the meeting. There shall be no written records kept of the proceedings, nor shall the nomination forms be considered as part of the chapter history. From the nominations presented, the Awards Committee Chair shall assign committee members to develop a summary on recipient qualifications to be read at the semesterly chapter banquet and to be included in the chapter history.

Section 3. THE ARLEN CUPThe Arlen Cup shall be presented each semester to the Brother who shows the greatest growth in the area of leadership skills and leadership to the chapter, while exemplifying the principles of Leadership, Friendship, and Service.

Section 4. THE TUTTLE MUGThe Tuttle Mug shall be presented annually in the Spring semester to the Brother who has initiated new service projects requiring initiative, time, and effort.

Section 5. THE ARGO CUPThe keeper of the Argo Cup shall be chosen for interest and effort at improving the quality and atmosphere of fellowship among Brothers of the chapter. The keeper of the Cup shall be responsible to maintain the Cup for appropriate uses.  The keeper of the cup shall also be responsible for care and maintenance of the Argo Cup.

Section 6. CHAPTER CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATIONThe Awards Committee shall be authorized to recognize Brothers, individuals, or organizations for their efforts on behalf of the chapter. The Executive Committee shall also be permitted to present Certificates of Appreciation at other times during the year.

Section 7. CHRIS PETTERSON PLEDGE AWARDThe Chris Petterson Pledge Award shall be presented each semester to the Pledge in the current Pledge Class who has distinguished himself in interest, participation and dedication to the principles of the Fraternity.

Section 8. CHAPTER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE KEYRecipients for the Chapter Distinguished Service Key shall be considered each semester.

1. Criteria. The criteria for the award shall be:
   1. Distinguished service on a chapter level, that is, making an outstanding and unique contribution to the chapter as a whole.
   2. Exemplifying and furthering, in demonstrable ways, the principles of leadership, friendship, and service.
   3. Making a sustained contribution in a leadership role over a period of time. These criteria shall automatically be amended as the National Fraternity amends them.
2. Quota. The formula to determine the number of Distinguished Service Keys to be presented shall be no more than ten (10) percent of the average Active Brothers at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters of the current academic year. In case of fractions, the number shall be rounded up to the next whole number. Under no circumstances shall the committee be obligated to present the maximum number of keys this formula allows.

Section 9. JOSEPH GAMA MEMORIAL PLATEThe Joseph Gama Memorial Plate shall be presented each semester to the Brother who has made a significant impact in strengthening a family unit in the following areas:

• helping a family/families cope with a drug or alcohol dependency problem;
• working with infants born with a drug dependency;
• homelessness;
• children with single parents or no parents;
• families with children suffering from terminal illness;
• elderly in a hospital or nursing home.

Section 10. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE LOCK.

1. Criteria. The Distinguished Service Lock (DSL) shall be presented for outstanding service on a chapter level while clearly demonstrating a desire to uphold the principles of leadership, friendship, and service over a period of time. It should be understood that the Distinguished Service Key and Distinguished Service Lock are two distinctly independent awards and should be considered as such. DSL nominations should be discussed separately from higher or lesser honors.
2. Quota: The number of Distinguished Service Locks presented by the nominations committee shall be no more than (10) percent of the average Active Brothers at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters of the current academic year. In case of fractions, the number shall be rounded up to the next whole number. Under no circumstances shall the committee be obligated to present the maximum number of locks this formula allows.

Section 11.  FRANK J. EVANS ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD. The Frank J. Evans Alumni Service Award is given to an alumnus of the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega who has demonstrated a continued dedication to service beyond their time as an active brother.  A brother shall become eligible for this award when the meet the following conditions:

1. Shown continued dedication to service
2. Have achieved Alumni status as defined by the bylaws Section 2. D.
3. Three years from the date of receiving alumni status or graduation date, whichever comes later.

This award shall be given in the form of a clock with an engraved plate to the honored alumni to represent their “countless hours of service”

Article XIV: Alumni Association

Section 1. RECOGNITIONKappa Omicron chapter recognizes the Kappa Omicron Alumni Association as the official organization for the Chapter's alumni. Brothers upon graduation are encouraged to participate in and support the Association in ways which provide beneficial service to Kappa Omicron Chapter.

Section 2. REPRESENTATIVESKappa Omicron Chapter shall have at least three representatives, ex officio, on the Alumni Association's Executive Committee. The chapter president, treasurer and alumni secretary shall be the chapter's official representatives.

Section 3. ACTIVITIES.Kappa Omicron actively encourages joint projects between the undergraduate chapter and the Alumni Association.

Article XV: Bylaws, Suspension and Amendments

Section 1. GUIDELINESSpecific passages of these bylaws may be suspended for a specific length of time, to be stated in the motion for suspension, by a two-thirds vote of the active Brothers at a meeting at which quorum prevails.

Section 2. AMENDMENTThese bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Chapter upon the affirmative vote of two thirds of the Active Brothers present where quorum prevails. The Executive Committee must submit a recommendation on the amendment to the active Brothers of the Chapter at least seven days before the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered. Whenever an amendment is passed, a copy of the updated bylaws shall be sent to the National Fraternity.

Section 3. PROCEDUREAll future bylaw amendments shall adhere to the guidelines established in the Chapter Handbook. Amendment to the rules to amend the bylaws must be made at least one week prior to the meeting at which bylaw amendments will be considered.

Section 4. BYLAW INTERPRETATIONThe initial authority to interpret the chapter bylaws shall rest with the President.

Section 5. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITYThe Parliamentary Authority shall be Robert's Rules of Order in its most recently revised version.

Section 6. NOTIFICATION OF SUSPENSIONIf a suspension of the bylaws shall have effects lasting more than one meeting, a Chapter Handbook Supplement shall be distributed which will reflect the suspended sections, the suspension date, and the duration of suspension. At the end of the suspension, the Supplement will be removed from the Chapter Handbook. The chapter Historian shall maintain a historical record of bylaw suspensions to be brought to bylaw amendment meetings.

Amendment Chronology
These Bylaws are those last amended May 2007.