Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
By-Laws of the
Illinois Zeta Chapter of the
Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
I.Meetings
A.Regular meetings
1. Shall be held weekly on Sundays at 7 PM.
2. Shall be held at a location determined and reserved by the HOD.
3. Can be changed by super-majority vote one week in advance.
B.Special meetings
1.Shall be called and held upon the notice required by the National Fraternity By-Laws (Article VI, Section 9, Clause 2)To build bridges with all parties with a vested interest in our Greek community at large, each chapter specifically, and the University and beyond.
2.Can be called and held by the GP with 24 hours advanced notice in times of emergencies.
C.Pledge meetings
1.Shall be held weekly.
2.Additional meetings shall be held at the discretion of the Fraternity Education Committee
3.Shall be held at a location determined by the Fraternity Education Committee
D.Order of Business
1.The order of business at regular meetings shall be as follows:
a.Chapter Opening Ceremony
b.Roll Call
c.Words from the Chaplain
d.Reading and Approval of the Minutes
e.Officer Reports
f.Committee Reports
g.Old Business
h.New Business
i.Pledge Discussion
j.Roll Call
k.Words for the Good of the Fraternity
l.Chapter Closing Ceremony
2.The order of business at special meetings shall be as follows:
a.Chapter Opening Ceremony
b.Roll Call
c.Statement of Special Business
d.Consideration of responses to situation
e.Decision of action in response to situation
f.Roll Call
g.Chapter Closing Ceremony
E.Quorum
1.A majority of the undergraduate members of the Chapter who are in good standing, as defined by the Chapter’s governance committee.
2.Quorum must be achieved in order to conduct business.
F.Voting
1.Only undergraduate members who are in good standing, as defined by the Chapter’s governance committee, shall be entitled to vote.
2.Votes may only be cast by eligible undergraduate members as defined by Article I, Section F, Line 1 of the By-Laws of Illinois Zeta
G.Procedural and Substitute Votes
1.Shall be passed with a simple majority vote
Clause 1. The exception is in relation to anything of financial matters. All matters of this nature that are brought to a vote need to be passed by a super-majority.
2.Shall be by sign, unless a vote by roll call is requested
H.Time Allotment of Regular Meetings
1.GP: 4 minutes
2.VGP: 4 minutes
3.P: 3 minutes
4.AG: 2 minutes
5.BG: 1 minute
6.SG: 1 minute
7.HOD: 1 minute
8.PHU: 1 minute
9.HI: 1 minute
10.Committee Chairs: 1 minute (For further explanation, see Article VII, Section 1, Clause 1 of the National Fraternity’s By-Laws)
Clause 1. If a committee chairperson or chapter officer needs more than the one minute provided, he must see the GP or VGP before the meeting has begun.
11.New and Old Business: Shall be at the discretion of the GP
II.Elections
A.Petition for Membership
1.Shall be elected at any regular meeting
2.Shall be by secret ballot
3.A unanimous affirmative vote shall be necessary for election
Clause 1. Election can also be authorized by the Executive Council
4.No candidate shall be eligible for initiation until all of the following have been met:
a.Requirements of the By-Laws of General Fraternity
b.Scholastic requirements of the University
c.DePaul’s Interfraternity Council
d.Undergraduates must possess talent, ambition, and good moral character
e.Currently enrolled full-time as defined by DePaul University
f.Good academic and disciplinary standing as defined by DePaul University
5.The final vote shall occur prior to the eighth week of any candidate’s pledgeship.
6.After this vote, the candidate will be initiated pending proof from DePaul University that the candidate’s quarterly GPA is at least 2.5.
B.Officers
1.Shall be elected annually through majority vote by those undergraduates eligible to vote and not otherwise
2.Nominations shall be held during the ninth week of the academic Winter quarter
3.Elections shall be held during the tenth week of the academic Winter quarter
4.Installation of officers shall be held on the same day of elections if possible
5.No member shall be elected as an officer or delegate until his initiation has been reported to the Executive Director together with the proper fees remitted, nor if he has not met the financial obligations to the Chapter as defined by the same.
6.Elections of officers shall be by secret ballot, as required by the General Fraternity’s By-Laws
7.Nominations will be accepted on the day of elections
C.Vacancies
1.Whenever a permanent vacancy shall occur in any office, it shall be filled by election at the next meeting
Clause 1. By majority vote, the GP can appoint any Brother eligible to hold an office to the vacant position.
D.Delegates to Councils
1.Delegates to Councils shall be elected at least four weeks prior to the convening of the council. No member shall serve as a delegate until his initiation has been reported to the Executive Director together with the proper fees remitted, nor if he has not met his financial obligation as defined by the Chapter
2.At the regular meeting immediately preceding any council, the official delegate shall submit to the Chapter if his report for such approval.
III.Officers
A.Chain of Command
1.-In the event that the GP or presiding officer is unable or unwilling to perform his duties expected and required herein, the order of succession shall be the following:
a.VGP
b.AG
c.BG
2.GP
a.Shall be the presiding officer of the Chapter
b.Shall have the powers and duties as defined by the manual of Phi Kappa Psi
3.VGP
a.Shall perform the duties of the GP in his absence or inability to act
b.Shall administer all Chapter Oaths, except at trials conducted by the Chapter
c.Shall be the official Chapter liaison between the Chapter and the Chapter Advisor
d.Shall hold the official copy of the By-Laws of the Illinois Zeta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi
e.Shall be responsible for the appointment of committee heads with the approval of the GP. He shall have one week to appoint a Brother to each committee chair from the date he is sworn into office.
4.AG
a.Shall be the presiding officer in the absence or inability to act of both the GP and VGP
b.Shall be the Corresponding Secretary of the Chapter
c.Shall be the Chapter’s correspondent for The Shield, and shall furnish a communication from the Chapter for publication in each issue thereof
d.Shall acknowledge receipt of all communication promptly upon their receipt, and shall report the matters therein contained to the Chapter at its next regular meeting, notifying the Correspondent promptly of the action of the Chapter thereon. When the action of the Chapter thereon is final, he shall present at each subsequent regular meeting of the CHapter until it is finally disposed.
e.Shall preserve copies of all communication sent by him, and keep the same properly posted and indexed
f.Shall send all communication, the non-receipt of which might subject the Chapter to a penalty, by registered mail
g.Shall be responsible for approving all publication, including flyers, posters, and all paraphernalia sent out by the Chapter
5.BG
a.Shall be the presiding officer in the absence or inability to act of the GP, VGP, and the AG
b.Shall be the recording secretary of the Chapter and shall keep a full, accurate, and complete recording of all proceedings of the Chapter
c.Shall be the custodian of the Seal, records, and archives of the Chapter, and shall keep the same in a place designated by the Chapter
d.Meeting minutes shall be posted no less than 48 hours after the meeting has been held
e.Shall keep the Constitution up to date and make any changes the Chapter mandates
6.P
a.Shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Chapter; he shall deposit all funds, upon their receipt by him, in a bank to be designated by the Finance Committee in an account under the name of the Chapter.
b.Shall be responsible for paying all bills and liabilities in a prompt fashion
c.Shall keep a receipt book, from which he shall give a receipt for all money received by him, entering on the stub the name, date, amount, and purpose for which it was paid
d.Shall record all fines all fines at the time of imposition, and all remission of fines when made by proper authority
e.Shall present a written statement of his receipts and expenditures for the preceding month at the first regular meeting of each month, together with a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Chapter
f.Shall file a financial report by the by 15th of each month for the previous month with the proper officer of the General Fraternity (Executive Director, Archon, and Director of Chapter Finance), on the form provided by the Executive Council
g.Shall keep a general ledger containing journal entries detailing all financial transactions of the Chapter in accordance with FASB and GAAP roles and procedures
h.Shall be personally responsible for all fines incurred by the Chapter due to filing any later reports to the national headquarters or governing body
i.Shall be responsible for providing each member of the fraternity with a statement of his account by the first of every month, either by hand carry or U.S. Postal Service, received no later than the fifth of the month
j.Any expenditures of Chapter funds must have prior approval by the Chapter. However, petty cash may be dispensed by the P without specific approval by the Chapter as long as it does not exceed $50. In addition the amount dispensed in petty cash will not exceed $300 per academic year, at dispersals not exceeding $50. Dispersals must be in accordance with the current budget.
7.SG
a.Shall be the Chapter’s historian, and shall have custody of the library, scrap book, photographs, and similar properties of the Chapter
b.Shall keep the Chapter history complete and shall ad hitherto at the end of each year covering the matters of historic interest of the preceding year
c.Shall keep a scrap book in which he shall preserve all published matters concerning the Fraternity, the Chapter, or any member or alumnus thereof, which may come to his notice
d.Shall keep a card index of all the alumni and undergraduate members of the Chapter, upon which shall be recorded such information about the members as the Chapter may direct.
e.Shall obtain and preserve a complete file of The Shield, as far as possible, and keep the same up to date by adding thereto the current volume, properly bound, as soon as completed
8.HOD
a.Shall be the messenger of the presiding officer
b.Shall be the Custodian of chapter regalia, and hall or meeting place, and shall have the same suitably prepared for each meeting at least fifteen minutes in advance thereof
c.Shall collect voting ballots and be the custodian of the same thereof
d.Shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining a proper Phone-Free line of communication whenever necessary
e.Will be responsible for the maintenance and updating of the Chapter’s voice-mail messaging system
f.Shall be responsible for the Chapter’s events calendar, hard copy and digital, and shall display the hard copy at every regular meeting
9.PHU
a.Shall be the guard of the entrance to the Chapter Hall during all meetings of the Chapter
b.Shall be the official Parliamentarian
c.Shall overlook the collection of all fines
d.Shall be responsible for providing at each regular Chapter meeting a list of all outstanding fines
e.Shall be responsible for updating the Code of Conduct annually and having every Brother sign it at a time determined by the GP
10.HI
a.Shall be the Chaplain of the Chapter and perform the duties thereof as stated in the Manual of Phi Kappa Psi.
b.Shall be responsible for maintaining the Chapter’s ritual equipment and insuring there is a complete set at all times
IV.Committees
A.Governance Committee
1.Shall exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Chapter, and shall be chaired by the VGP and composed of the following:
a.GP
b.P
c.Phu
d.Grievance Chair
e.BG
f.Undergraduate responsible for updating these By-Laws
2.Shall pay particular attention to the relations of the Chapter with the University and with the other Fraternities, and each member of the Chapter with his fellow students
3.Shall certify to the Grievance committee the name of any member failing to maintain proper standing in the Chapter, the University, or the Community
4.No records, archives, or other Chapter property shall be removed from the Chapter without the Governance Committee’s consent and approval.
5.An appeal shall lie from the decision of any officer or committee to the Governance Committee, and its decision shall be conclusive. The committee is subject to the limitation of the Constitution, By-Laws, and Rules of the General Fraternity
6.Shall define the financial obligation which the undergraduate members must meet to constitute a member in good standing entitled to vote at Chapter meetings
7.Shall assist the PHU in updating the Code of Conduct for the Chapter.
8.Shall be responsible for properly updating the By-Laws as legislation is passed.
9.Shall be responsible for reviewing and assessing the By-Laws at the end of each academic quarter
10.Shall be responsible for defining the minimum requirements of all Brothers’ participation in Chapter operations
11.Shall meet with the Executive Board once a week while the Chapter is under any investigation or probation by IFC or the University
12.Based upon the discretion of the committee, governance shall determine bad standing for any individual based on the following:
a.Report(s) from the P with unpaid dues or failure to comply with an approve payment plan as defined in Article V, Section A.
b.Report(s) from the PHU with unpaid fines as defined in Article V, Section A.
c.Report(s) from the BG with unacceptable attendance to chapter meetings as defined in Article V, Section B.
d.Report(s) from the Grievance chair with any unfulfilled grievances.
13.Shall be responsible for upholding those in bad standing to the following sanctions:
a.Voting privileges are taken away.
b.The privilege of holding a committee head or officer position shall be taken away.
c.Attendance at any brotherhood, social, or recruitment event must be approved by the GP.
B.Membership Committee
1.Shall consist of at least three undergraduate members
2.Shall seek advisement from alumni regarding recruitment events
3.Shall supervise all recruitment and control of all the details thereon
4.No Chapter funds for recruitment purposes shall be spent without the approval of the Membership and Finance Committees
5.Shall be responsible for a database of potential recruits available to the Chapter, including name and contact information for each potential recruit
6.Shall be responsible for actively participating in any recruitment efforts by the IFC
7.Shall be responsible for the attendance of Brothers at any University Orientation tables provided by the IFC
8.If deemed necessary by the Chapter, the Membership Committee shall be responsible for arranging assistance from Headquarters staff
C.Grievance Committee
1.Shall consist of at least three undergraduate members
2.Reserves the power to reduce or remit all fines or penalties imposed by the Chapter upon satisfactory cause shown in writing within one week after the imposition thereof
3.Shall submit in writing the decision to the P
4.Shall take official recognition of absence, without excuse, of any officer from two consecutive meetings of the chapter
5.Shall take official recognition of absence, without excuse, of any member of a committee from two consecutive meetings of that committee
6.Unless a satisfactory excuse for the absences are filed in writing to the Grievance Committee by such officer or committee member within one week thereafter, the Grievance Committee shall declare such office or committee seat vacant
7.All proposals by the Grievance Committee shall be voted on at the next regular Chapter meeting and approved with no less than a majority vote of the Chapter
D.Scholarship Committee
1.Shall consist of at least three undergraduate members
2.Shall be responsible for the academic achievement of each member of the Chapter, with the assistance of the faculty advisor
3.Upon the end of every academic quarter, all Chapter members shall release to only the Chairman his consent for a Chapter wide grade release
4.The Chairman is only authorized to receive the current quality points and associated GPA, and the cumulative quality points and GPA. Any other materials must be destroyed immediately upon receipt.
5.Shall be responsible for defining the guidelines for academic probation of all Chapter members that do not have a cumulative GPA of 2.5
6.Shall be responsible for updating the Chapter’s overall GPA on a quarterly basis, and shall report said information at the first regular Chapter meeting of each quarter.
7.Shall compose a master schedule consisting of each Brother’s class schedule, including location and time
E.Alumni/Public Relations Committee
1.Shall consist of the SG and at least three undergraduate members
2.Shall be responsible for releasing the quarterly newsletter consisting of the Chapter’s events to both the Chapter and the alumni members
3.Shall be responsible for the recruitment and retention of of the members of the Alumni Boards, Alumni Corporation, and all members of the Alumni related to the Illinois Zeta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi
4.Shall submit a report at the last regular Chapter meeting of every quarter of all alumni events in the preceding quarter
5.Shall be responsible for keeping an updated list of all alumni in the Chicagoland area. The Chair will update this list within two weeks of an alumnus’ departure
6.Shall supervise and be responsible for the maintaining of a positive public image of the Chapter
7.The webmaster, to be appointed by the GP, shall be part of this committee
8.Shall be responsible for at least biweekly maintenance of the Illinois Zeta web page.
9.The web page shall include, but will not be limited to, the following pages:
a.The Creed of Phi Kappa Psi
b.The History of Illinois Zeta and Phi Kappa Psi
c.Rush information at DePaul
d.The newsletter for Illinois Zeta
e.Member Directory (for all current members’ e-mail addresses)
f.Other Chapter Links
g.Calendar of Events
10.The Chair shall be responsible for the production and mailing of a quarterly alumni newsletter to be called The Illinois Zetan. The Chair may request the submission of articles from Brothers outside the committee, though his committee will be responsible for the majority of material in the newsletter.