BYLAWS OF NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH (CSULB)

Bylaw I.  Membership:

Section 1. (Required) - There shall be three types of membership in the organization:  affiliate, regular and associate membership.

Section 2. Affililiate membership is limited to the local chapters chartered at CSULB.  Regular membership is limited to members of affiliate chapters who have paid all national dues and assessments, are in good standing with their national organization, regularly enrolled in the university and in academic and conduct good standing.  Associate membership is open to members of affiliate originations who are CSULB graduate students and are in good standing with their national organization. Associate members are ex-facto members. 

Section 3. Council voting body shall be the elected officers and one delegate from each affiliate local chapter as appointed by the respective local chapter president. Each elected officer shall have one vote, each delegate one vote.  The elected officer can not vote as a representative of the local chapter.  The President votes only in cases of a tie.

Section 4. Any member may be suspended or expelled from the organization for conduct contrary to the constitution of the organization or for conduct that grossly impairs the rights of the members to enjoy the benefits of the organization.  The offense must be submitted in writing by an executive board member or an local chapter president. After the offense has been submitted to the organization, the offending member shall have the right to a hearing before the organization at a regular meeting and may be suspended or expelled only upon the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the voting members present.  The offending member has the right to appeal an adverse decision at a regular meeting, and such offending members shall be reinstated unless the suspension or expulsion is again approved by a three-fourths vote.

Bylaw II.  Revenue:
    
Section 1.   Basic dues shall be of twenty five dollars each semester per active fraternity and sorority and shall be collected at the beginning of each semester.

Section 2. If a meeting is canceled for lack of quorum, the council will automatically fine the absent local chapters thirty dollars.

Section 3. Accounts shall be due and payable upon presentation of a statement by the treasurer.  If any portion thereof is unpaid after (30) days, the local chapter automatically loses its voting privileges.

Bylaw III.  Officers:

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization. The President shall present a full calendar of regular meetings for the entire academic year at the first meeting of the fall semester. He/She shall be the official spokesperson of the organization, representing policies, views, and opinions of the organization in its relations with the campus and community at large.  He/She shall have such further responsibilities and duties as may be prescribed by the organization, form agendas, call special meetings. The President only votes incase of a tie and during organization elections.

Section 2. There shall be two Vice Presidents who shall preside at the organization meetings in the absence of the President. He/She shall perform all legal duties assigned to him/her by the President.  He/She shall notify all members of the organization meetings. He/She shall be in charge of developing programs for NPHC week held the third week of the fall semester. The Vice Presidents shall co-chair the CSULB Step Show standing committee.

Section 3. The Treasurer shall handle all financial affairs and budgeting of the organization, maintaining all necessary accounting records.  Said records shall be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.  He/She shall maintain the agency account in the organization's name, requiring signatures of either the Treasurer or President for authorized disbursements.

Section 4. The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings of the organization, keep minutes on file and submit required copies to all organization members. He/She shall be responsible for all organization correspondence and shall keep copies thereof on file.  He/She shall also act as historian and shall maintain all records of the organization if a historian is not appointed.

Section  5. The Historian shall take pictures at all events and provide pictures for the campus yearbook.  The Historian shall write and coordinate history for the NPHC.

Section 6. Parliamentarian shall keeps order in the meetings by ensuring that Robert’s Rule of Order is followed by in each meeting.  He/She also collects and counts ballots for elections, keeps a copy of the constitution and by-laws at all meetings.

Section 7. In the event that an elected officer is unable to fulfill his/her term of office, there shall be an election to fill the vacancy.  At the next regular meeting or at a special meeting there shall be nominations. Any eligible member, including those already holding office, may be nominated for a vacant office.  However, an executive officer may hold only one position at one time.  The election shall be held at the following regular meeting.

Section 8. Petition by one-third of the total number of voting members shall be cause for a recall election. The offense must be submitted in writing by a local chapter president. After the offense has been submitted to the organization via the SLD advisor, the offending officer has 48 hours from notification to submit a written response. At the next regular business meeting the presentation of the recall petition and offending officers response shall be presented. At the following meeting, a recall election shall be held. Recall will require a favorable vote of three-fourths of the total voting members.

Section 9. Regular elections shall be held each Spring Semester.  Nominations for officers must be agenized at the meeting prior to accepting nominations.  Elections shall be held no sooner that the meeting following the nominations meetings.

Section 10. To be eligible for office in the organization, a candidate for office must be regularly matriculated undergraduate CSULB student carrying a minimum of six (6) undergraduate units of regular university credit per semester at CSULB, have a cumulative G.P.A. of no less than 2.50 and not be on probation of any kind. A candidate for an office must be a matriculated CSULB student.  Members elected to the President and Vice Presidents positions can not simultaneously hold the office of President in their local chapter.

Section 11. The term of office for the officers of the organization shall be for one academic year.  No officer is allowed to hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms.

Bylaw IV.  Advisors:

Section 1. There may be at least one advisor from the faculty or administration or alumni elected by the organization. The advisor must be financial and good standing of with an affiliate organization.

Section 2. The advisors shall serve a term of one year and will be elected at the same time as the officers of the organization.

Section 3. The advisor(s) shall be ex-officio, non-voting member(s). (required)

Bylaw V.  Committees:

Section 1. Standing Committees: The Long Beach State Step Show committee shall be a standing committee co-chaired by the Vice Presidents.  The Step Show committee shall operate under the guidelines set by Student Services.

Section 2. The President or executive board shall have the authority to create committees to further the purposes of the organization. All committees shall be open to all regular members.

Bylaw VI.  Quorum:

Section 1. The percentage that constitutes a quorum shall be fifty percent plus one of the voting membership, the affiliate chapter delegate and each elected officer.

Section 2. In voting, a majority shall consist of more than fifty percent of those voting.

Section 3. There must be a quorum in order for any official vote or election to occur.

Bylaw VII.  Elections:

Section 1. Elections will be held once each academic year. Date of election to be established by the organization.

Section 2. At least one week's notice shall be provided for any meeting at which an election is to be held.

Section 3. Elections shall be by secret ballot. (Show of hands is permissible. However, if using ballots, the ballots will be counted by the parliamentarian and the SLD advisor. All ballot counting must take place on campus).
  
Section 4. A majority of voting members of the organization shall constitute a quorum for an election.

Section 5. A majority of all votes cast in the election shall be necessary to elect. If no candidate receives a majority, a run-off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes.

Bylaw VIII.  Method to Amend the Bylaws:

Section 1. Proposed bylaw amendments made by a member shall be presented to the organization, in writing, one meeting before it may be voted upon.

Section 2. Approval by two-thirds of the voting members present at a regular meeting shall pass a proposed amendment.
 
Section 3. Approval by the University is needed to change the bylaws. (required)

Bylaw IX.  Parliamentary Authority:
  
   Source of authority shall be Robert's Rules of Order, newly revised.